


Eyes are for the Stars

by JLaLa



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: AU, Complete, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-07-19
Packaged: 2017-11-23 20:45:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/626350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JLaLa/pseuds/JLaLa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had only one night before he went on tour. Katniss and Peeta were going to make the most of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One: Faithfully

Just something that’s been brewing in my head.

The characters of The Hunger Games do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, my wonderful beta, for catching my mistakes!

_“Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” -Khalil Gibran_

Eyes are for the Stars

By JLaLa

Part One: Faithfully

“You have to come,” Delly, her friend and roommate urged. “We’re graduating in two weeks and you’ve spent most of your collegiate life in this room!” Rushing towards their tiny closet, Delly began to rifle through it. “I’ll even pick out your outfit. Now get your lazy arse up and get ready!”

“Arse? So you’re British already?” Katniss grinned at her friend from her seat. Closing the textbook, she turned to Delly who gave her a pout.

Delly would be leaving for London in two months to work at Google’s London Headquarters in their Communications Department. Her natural confidence made her the perfect PR girl.

“So you’re coming?” Katniss nodded. Delly clapped her hands then returned to pulling pieces of clothing out.

After a moment, she presented Katniss with her outfit, a beige knee-length dress and burgundy sweater tights.

She raised her eyebrows. “I’ll freeze out there!” New York is still frosty in February, though they get regular sun around the NYU Campus.

“I’m lending you my cropped leather jacket, sweetheart,” Delly replied and tossed it into the pile. “Wear my brown boots, too—and wear your hair down.”

“Any reason in particular that you want me to come?”  Standing up, she grabbed the dress from the pile. Going to the mirror, she placed it over her body. It wasn’t bad looking. “After all, you’re dating the hottest guy in the band, right?”

Katniss had introduced Thom to Delly. He had gone to her high school and had been her math tutor when she was a sophomore. Despite him being a senior, Thom and Katniss had become fast friends. He was the one who had convinced her to come to NYU for her Journalism degree. She loved to write and now she hoped that she could get a job doing it.

She had sent out her writing portfolio to the _New York Times_ , as well as other major newspapers like the _Chicago Tribune_ and the _San Francisco Chronicle_.  

Now came the waiting part.

“Thom’s band isn’t playing tonight,” Delly informed her. “One of my childhood friends is performing tonight before he goes on tour and Thom is helping him out.”

“This isn’t a set-up, is it?” Katniss groaned as she removed her sweats to pull on the tights. “I’m no good with strangers.”

“Why would I try to set you up with someone who is going on tour in the morning?” Delly walked over to tug off the hooded sweater that she wore. “Get moving, girlie!”

“Okay…okay.” Katniss pulled the dress over her hips; they were about the only feminine thing about her. Pulling on the boots, she put on the leather jacket and then headed over to the mirror. “You should’ve been a stylist, Delly. I would’ve gotten laid sooner.”

“Losing your virginity at twenty is perfectly acceptable,” Delly assured her. “Here.” She handed Katniss a purple knit beret. “It will look great with your hair.”

“Well, you’re getting laid like every other day, so everything is perfectly acceptable to you.”

“True,” Delly said and put an arm around her. “Let’s go and see my man.”

“I wish I had never introduced you,” Katniss joked as Delly kissed her on the cheek.

Student housing had assisted her in finding an off-campus apartment when she first arrived. She was wary of having a roommate, but Delly was sassy and smart. They had clicked instantly and bonded their first night by watching British period dramas.

She had introduced her roommate to Thom when he had come to visit a week later, bringing a bag from the Shake Shack. It had been something out of a rom-com when they first saw each other. Delly had just come back from ballet class and nearly fell as she rushed into the house. Thom had caught her.

They’ve been together ever since.

Hailing a cab, Delly wrestled Katniss as she tried to put some lipstick on her full lips. The driver smirked as he looked through his rearview mirror. The girls reminded him of his daughters.

“You’re going to make me look like a fucking clown!” Katniss pushed her friend’s hand away.

“I will if you don’t hold still,” Delly argued. Relenting, Katniss settled into her seat.

By the time they got to the club, Katniss sported bright red lips and curled lashes. Paying the driver, they walked down into the crowded club and found a column to lean against with a decent view of the stage.

Thom easily found them and threw his head back in greeting. The two girls waved back at the tall, gangly boy.

Katniss finally turned her eyes to the singer. He had blond, wavy hair and was a little shorter than Thom. He looked up at the crowd and smiled.

She decided that she liked his smile.

“I just wanted to thank everyone for coming out tonight,” he said into the mic. “I’m going to slow it down for all of you. This is one of my favorite songs and will be my last song of the night. Sadly, I have no one to dedicate it to.” A chorus of ‘awwww’s’ rippled through the crowd. “I’m Peeta Mellark and it has been an honor performing for you tonight.”

“Where are they going first?” Katniss found herself asking her friend.

“His band is heading to England,” Delly replied. “They’re opening for another band.”

As the first notes of the piano intro began, she leaned her head against the pillar and looked up to find him staring at her.

Her lips curved into a grin as his own found the mic and he began to sing.

_“Highway run…into the midnight sun…”_

++++++

Peeta could hardly get through the song. It wasn’t nerves.

It was her.

When they first locked eyes, he felt a chill rise from his feet to his face. He managed to get through the song, singing in a strong and steady, but he was trembling on the inside. No one ever had this effect on Peeta Mellark, except for the pretty, grey-eyed girl.

After the applause had died and the crowd had dissipated, he looked over at Thom. “Who is the girl next to Delly?”

“That’s Katniss,” Thom informed him. “Didn’t I mention her once or twice?”

“Yeah, but you described her as kind of tomboyish,” he replied. “She is no tomboy.”

His friend looked over the two girls, who were now sitting at a table and cocked his head. “I guess not. Delly must have dressed her.” Thom looked over at him. “Do you want me to introduce you?”

“I’ll just go over and say hi to Delly.”

“Yeah, right,” Thom teased. “Go say hi to Delly.”

“Fuck you, man,” he retorted but his mouth was turned up.

“Love you, too, dude.”

Running a hand through his hair, Peeta moved through the crowd before reaching their table. Delly caught sight of him and walked over to him.

“Great job, Peeta!” Delly threw her arms around him and then led him over to their table. “Peeta, this is Katniss.”

He got his first real look at the girl who had almost caused him to fall over onstage. Dark wavy hair, large grey eyes and pretty olive skin; he decided right then that he had never seen anyone so beautiful.

Katniss held his gaze as her hand stretched forward for him to shake. Slowly, his hand met hers and Peeta felt a warmth spread through his skin. She seemed to be feeling the same because her mouth melted into another smile.

“You have a great voice,” she remarked. Her own voice was low and teasing.

“So do you! I mean I haven’t heard it before, but as far as voices go—I’m effing this up,” he stammered as his face turned crimson.

“Sit and have a drink with me.” Katniss patted the seat next to her and he obliged. She took a sip from her glass and then handed it to him. Peeta drank carefully, avoiding the area where her red lipstick marked the glass. He wanted to keep the imprint of her lips on the glass as positive proof that she was actually there.

He had been patient all his life and it was deliciously ironic that the night before he left was the night that he found what he had been waiting for.

“So you’re Delly’s roommate?”

“Yup, until she goes to England or I find a job,” she said.

“Baby!” Delly rushed over to Thom. Lifting her easily, Thom wrapped his arms around her waist as Delly’s legs wrapped around him. Their lips met and they watched in embarrassment as the couple fell back against a nearby pillar.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Peeta asked quickly.

Katniss looked over at the couple and then nodded enthusiastically at him. “Let’s go.”

++++++

Two hours had passed and they had now settled themselves on the roof of his apartment building. They had spent most of it learning about each other. She wanted to write and he had been singing since he was four.

“So you’re going to be a famous writer, then?” Peeta asked as he placed a blanket over her shoulders. She smiled gratefully and laid back on the lawn chair.

“I hope so,” she said as she looked up at the sky. Because of the city lights, it was difficult to see the stars.

Katniss always kept on looking for them. It made her think of home. She was from a small beach town, the kind of place that closed down by seven.

“Right now, I’m just trying to find my way,” Katniss continued as she looked up. “I guess that’s what your twenties are for.”

Peeta sat back on his chair and looked up. “What are you looking for?”

“Any semblance of a star. I always try to find them here, even when I know it’s not possible.”

“Come here,” he beckoned and she walked over to his chair. Scooting over, Peeta made room so that she could sit next to him. It was a tight fit and she sat slightly on his lap which didn’t seem to bother either of them. “I think I see one.”

“Where?” She looked up and he caught a whiff of her shampoo scent—pears.

“Right there,” he said quietly and pointed.

Squinting, Katniss sighed when she found it—a tiny cluster of stars in the distance. “I’ll have to tell my little sister, Prim. I feel a little less lost now.” She turned to him, her eyes glowing. “Thank you for showing me.”

He closed his eyes and laid his head back next to hers. Her scent surrounded him and it made his heart quicken in the best way.

“Don’t you want to see the stars?” she whispered and he felt her lay her head against his shoulder.

“No, I don’t need to. I’ve seen them.”

They were in her eyes.

++++++

When she opened her eyes, Katniss found herself lying against his chest. The sun was just beginning to rise and she was wrapped in Peeta’s strong arms. It wasn’t a bad way to wake up. She never realized how lonely she was until that moment.

She had spent her time studying in school and had very few friends other than Thom and Delly. However, with Peeta, she felt like she had found that last piece of the puzzle. She traced her finger against the soft skin of his arm and then looked at his sleeping face. He looked much younger than twenty-three when he was asleep.

He had a small freckle on his bottom lip. She reached over to touch it and his eyes blinked open to reveal the cornflower blue that she was beginning to enjoy. They were even brighter in the sunlight.

“Morning,” he greeted her quietly. “Is it weird that I find waking up to you completely comfortable?”

“No.” She reached over and touched his cheek. “I was thinking the same thing.”

They stared at one another for a moment. They knew that it couldn’t go any further than this.

 If it did, it might just break both of their hearts.

“What time is it?” Peeta stood up to stretch.

“Five. When do you have to leave?”

“Our bus heads out to the airport at six.”

Katniss nodded and pulled at his hand. “Sit down. Let’s just have this last sunrise.”

So he sat and squeezing her hand, they watched the sunrise together. Peeta took a breath.

“Scared to leave?” she asked him.

“Scared to go.”

++++++

They walked to the bus depot, their hands clasped tightly together.

Waving to Thom and Delly who were also saying their goodbyes, the two walked towards them.

“You didn’t come home last night,” Delly teased. “I was getting worried.”

“You didn’t call me,” Katniss said as she held up her phone. “So I don’t think you were too worried. Plus, it was your chance to get some alone time.” She turned to Thom. “You’re welcome.”

Thom turned to Peeta. “You’re opening for ‘The Tributes!’ Aren’t you excited?”

He nodded, though it looked less than enthusiastic. “Suddenly, not so much.” He turned to Katniss. “Can you guys give us a minute?”

“Yeah, we’ll be over at the entrance whenever you’re ready, Katniss,” Delly told her roommate. “Break a leg, Peeta.”

“Thanks.”

When they were a good distance away, he turned to Katniss. “I just wanted you to know that yesterday was the most amazing time of my life. I’ve been waiting for someone to sing for and I finally found her.”

“Stop, Peeta.” Her voice was hoarse and he could see tears in her eyes. “Let’s just leave it at that.” Katniss pulled him close and her arms wrapped around his waist. “I feel alive—I haven’t felt that way in a while and it’s all because of you.”

His lips brushed against her ear and a shiver ran through her body. “Remember this, remember us right now.”

Their lips met in a gentle kiss and Katniss clung to him. He tried his hardest to hold onto the taste of her and the thought of how easily her body fit against his.

“I’m yours,” she whispered, her voice so quiet that he almost didn’t hear it. Pulling away, she wiped her eyes and grinned. “Give ‘em hell.”

“Write to me?” he asked and took a pen from his pocket. Moving the sleeve of her dress up, he turned to expose her forearm to write down his e-mail address.

“Can’t we just call or text each other?”

“This is much more romantic,” Peeta informed her with a bashful grin. “You’re a writer, aren’t you? You can tell me all about those stars that you’re always looking for. It will remind us that no matter where we are, we’re always looking at the same sky.”

“Peeta! Get a move on!” Cato, his lead guitarist, yelled before getting onto the bus.

Cradling her face in his hands, Peeta kissed her once more before rushing to the bus door. Before he stepped on, he called out to her.

“I’m expecting my first e-mail tonight!”

Katniss nodded. She couldn’t get out the words that seemed to be stuck in her chest. What she felt wasn’t possible. She was much more logical than this. It would never work and telling him would make it worse for the both of them.

_Ahh, to hell with it._

“PEETA!” He stepped down from the bus and looked at her expectantly. “I think—gah—I love you.”

He beamed at her before stepping on the bus.

Katniss wrapped her arms around herself. She felt the tears fall from her eyes and made no effort to wipe them. Inside, she was both exhilarated and devastated. The breeze danced with her hair as she watched the rest of the band members and crew get on the bus.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the rapid sound of knocking as the bus departed. It was Peeta in the back window. He held up a large notebook so she could read his message.

He loved her, too.

* * *

 

The title comes from the Gilbert Parker quote: _"Love knows not distance; it hath no continent; its eyes are for the stars."_

Some Thelly for my lovely bigbigbigday! Thank you for letting me borrow your ship!

The song that Peeta sings is “Faithfully” by Journey, which sort of inspired this one-shot.

This has the potential to become my next story after Again but we’ll see.

Thank you if you’ve read this because I enjoyed writing it.

-JLaLa


	2. Part Two: Talking to the Moon

Good things come to those who wait—Part Two of EAFTS.

Thank you for your support as I work on ‘Again’ and this fic!

Thanks to Chelzie for being such an awesome beta!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

_Talking to the Moon._   
_Trying to get to you_   
_In hopes you're on the other side_   
_Talking to me too…._

_-Bruno Mars_

Eyes Are For The Stars

Part Two: Talking to the Moon

**_Six Months Later_ **

_Dear Katniss,_

_Greetings from Paris! It’s been a crazy few days here, but we’ve been playing in some pretty awesome clubs. Parisians are really die-hard party people and they love good music. So far, we’ve met their approval and the gigs are keeping us fed. Unfortunately, our accommodations are less than desirable._

_Attached to this e-mail is a picture of the room that I’m sharing with Cato. It could be worse. My other two band mates are practically sleeping on the top of each other._

_Have you been looking up at the sky?_

_I miss you,_

_Peeta_

Katniss closed her laptop and sighed.

Six months.

She hadn’t seen him in six months. The e-mails helped and gave her solace in what was a very hectic world for her. None of the newspapers that she had applied to had responded so she had been stuck without a job for a bit after graduation.

Delly had settled in London and Thom had followed her, proposing right at the security gate.

Since Katniss was no longer a student, she had to rent an apartment.

Actually, it was more like a studio—a tin can of a studio. She could almost cook in her bathroom if she moved an inch.

It had good lighting and from where she sat at her desk, Katniss could see the hustle and bustle of Canal Street. Men trying to sell fake Chanel purses from garbage bags and avoiding police at the same time, while old Chinese ladies tried to get tourists to follow them into underground shops to buy Louis Vuitton bags.

Opening the laptop, she opened the attachment that Peeta had sent along with the e-mail and a laugh escaped from her mouth. Peeta and Cato sat on a single bed wearing berets and drawn handlebar mustaches. Cato had a cigarette hanging from his mouth and a single trail of smoke danced above him.

Peeta was leaning towards the camera, his blue eyes looking straight into the camera. Straight at her.

Checking her watch, she closed her laptop again and straightened her skirt.

It was her first day at her new job.

++++++

_Dear Peeta,_

_Bonjour from New York! Love the mustaches; do you share the bed, too? Make sure Cato puts out his cigarettes before you go to bed. I’d hate to see any of that blond hair singed off by a ciggie!_

_I started my new job today. I am a Marketing Coordinator for the City of New York which is a fancy-schmancy way of saying that I write press releases that are sent to newspapers. Newspapers, which I might add, didn’t bother to hire me._

_I know how bitter I sound. My parents sent a nice graduation gift which was pretty much the deposit for my studio and I’m pretty much dependent on this job. So yes, I’m bitter._

_I know I shouldn’t be, but I just didn’t realize that being a grown up would blow so much._

_Attached is a picture of me deciding what I’m going to have for dinner._

_No stars here in Canal Street—but would you like a knock-off of the Louis Vuitton ‘Alma’ bag?_

_Missing you like crazy,_

_Katniss_

Peeta opened the attachment and a grin slowly formed. Katniss sat Indian-style on the floor of her studio, her hair tied up messily as she held up a plastic fork. In front of her was a Cup o’ Noodles container and a cup of chocolate pudding. She looked up at the camera with a smirk and raised eyebrows.

She was pretty, really pretty and this picture only accentuated that. Katniss didn’t have to try—she just was.

Peeta thought about her a lot, mostly at night.

And not in the masturbatory way, though it had crossed his mind.

It was her eyes. When he closed his eyes, Peeta saw her looking at him from across the crowded club in New York. Her stare made his stomach drop.

They never repeated their ‘I love you’s’ to one another, out of embarrassment or fear of rejection. Whatever he was feeling, however, was pretty close to it.

A knock on the door interrupted his musings. It was Cato.

“Hey, we’re all heading down to the bar,” he said to his friend. “Want to come?”

“Sure, give me five minutes,” Peeta replied.

His gaze caught sight of the girl behind Cato, one of the backup singers for ‘The Tributes’. She was a petite brunette with dark, hard eyes. The girl gave him a small smile before turning to follow Cato out.

When he was finally alone, Peeta opened his laptop again.

++++++

**_One Week Later_ **

_Dear Katniss,_

_Go with the pudding—less sodium. I was thinking that we need a project to do together. Something to help us bond a little while we’re apart._

_What do you think?_

_Patiently waiting,_

_Peeta_

Katniss smiled to herself as she read the message on her computer. A project sounded enticing. It sure beat any project where she didn’t have to Xerox anything. Some days she spent so much time at the machine that she considered putting her face against the glass out of sheer boredom.

“Katniss.”

She looked up to see her boss, Effie Trinket, head of Marketing and Communications, at her doorway.

“Yes, Effie?”

“We’re expecting some folks from Chicago and I’d like you to give them the tour through the building,” her boss said in a posh voice. Effie was truly from the Upper East Side—and to Katniss, she sounded like the narrator on that show, ‘Gossip Girl’.

“Sure,” she agreed.

Effie’s eyes moved to the computer screen. “Who are you e-mailing?”

“No one.”

Her relationship with Effie could be compared to having an overbearing, match-making aunt. Effie’s intentions were good, but she literally had too much time on her hands and often spent it trying to find a suitable boy for her lonely assistant.

“No one wouldn’t be blond, blue eyed and in a band, would he?”

She immediately regretted putting the picture of Peeta and Cato on her desk.

Katniss nodded once. “I have to start planning my tour, Effie. I’ll talk to you later.”

The woman gave her a sly smile before disappearing from her doorway. Katniss waited until the click of Effie’s high heels faded before turning back to her computer screen.

_Dear Peeta,_

_I’m game._

_Yours,_

_Katniss_

++++++

_Dear Katniss,_

_Here’s the deal—let’s write a song together. I’m usually the songwriter for the group, but lately…I just haven’t been in the right state of mind. There is one thing—more like one person – who has been inspiring me lately. Maybe it’s because I miss her like crazy._

_I got the first few lines down, but maybe you can finish up the verse. It’ll give you the chance to sharpen up your writing skills and keep those creative juices flowing._

_**Grey eyes, embedded in my mind** _

_**Olive reaches out into the air** _

_**Searching for the one who isn’t there** _

_**I found her once—looking up to the sky…** _

_Do you hate it?_

_Hoping you don’t,_

_Peeta_

He closed the laptop and put his face in his hands. Sometimes he wondered if this life was worth it. They were barely getting by some days and he missed home. His weekly phone calls to his parents were full of sympathetic sighs from his Dad and the constant demand from his mother that he come back and get a ‘real job’.

Peeta missed Katniss. Yes, he knew that their meeting had been brief; but as they continued to write each other, the more he discovered how much he liked everything about her. He knew how silly it sounded—to just fall in love with someone in one night.

It wasn’t impossible, either.

A knock interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see the dark haired girl that Cato had been with a few days ago.

“Hey.” She gave a quick wave and smiled. “I’m Clove. Cato says that he’s ready to go when you are.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “I’m Peeta, by the way. You’re a back-up singer for ‘The Tributes’, right?”

“Yeah, been singing with them since I graduated high school,” she told him. “I had to get out of the shit town that I was living in. I was dying out there.”

“I get you.” He was surprised when she sat on his bed.

Peeta gave her a quick once over. She was small and pale. Her eyes were an ordinary dark brown, but behind them was hard glint which piqued his curiosity. What could have happened to make her that way? “I’ll be down in a minute.”

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Writing an e-mail.”

Clove looked at the screen quickly before turning to him. “To the girl? Cato told me that you met her the day before you came on the tour.” She picked a piece of lint off his blanket. “Sounds kind of dumb, if you ask me.”

“What would you know?” he asked her.

“No offense or anything,” she went on. “How could you love someone that you don’t really know?”

“It’s just a feeling.” Peeta closed his laptop and turned to her. “You can see a thousand pair of eyes in a day and not notice any one of them. But one day, you hope that you’ll look around and find that one pair that you’ve been waiting for. I knew from the moment I saw her that there was something special.”

“Whatever.” Clove chewed on a hangnail.

“Let’s go,” he said and stood up. “Cato is waiting.”

++++++

Katniss read over the lyrics. They weren’t bad but she was a bit embarrassed by the reference to her eyes. If this song became a hit, then people would know who he was referring to. At least her friends would know. Thom and Delly would totally take the mickey out of her when they heard it.

A knock on the door to her office startled her.

She looked up to see a handsome young man with dark hair and the same olive skin as her. He was dressed in a simple dark grey suit and when their eyes met, he smiled, revealing bright white teeth.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“I’m here for the tour,” he replied. “I’m Gale Hawthorne, from the Chicago Daily.”

Reaching over to her clipboard, she checked his name off and then smiled at him. “Have a seat. There are four more people that we’re waiting for.”

“I didn’t get your name.” Gale sat on the chair across from her desk.

“Katniss.”

“Catnip?” Her head shot up and she glared at him.

“Whoa.” He held up his hands in surrender. “Just didn’t hear it right for a moment.”

“Once again, it’s Katniss.” She could already tell that he was a tool.

“Nice to meet you, _Katniss_ ,” Gale replied evenly.

She went back to looking over Peeta’s lyric. Writing it down on a notepad, she went over each line carefully.

Why was nothing coming to her?

“What are you doing?” It was Gale again, but this time he was peering down at the notepad. “What is it? A poem?”

She covered the notepad with her arm. “It’s none of your business.”

“You didn’t write that, though,” he continued. “That has you written all over it.”

“What do you mean?”

 “The whole thing about your eyes—you’ve obviously captured someone.” She looked to find him staring at her. She felt her face burn.

Katniss knew he was flirting. She was a little slow on the uptake when she was younger, but now she saw the way he looked at her. It bothered her because she easily accepted it. Wasn’t she with Peeta, though?

“My…boyfriend wrote them,” Katniss informed him.

“Why do you sound so unsure?”

She groaned in irritation.

Hopefully, the other people would show up soon.

++++++

Katniss weaved the group through the hallways, providing the usual information on architecture, history and of course, the City Hall Station.

“Service was discontinued in 1944—“

“1945,” Gale corrected. He decided to stand next to her throughout the entire tour.

To her other side stood Cinna and Portia Norwood, brother and sister, as well as co-editors for the Chicago branch of _Rolling Stone_ magazine. Behind her was Caesar Flickerman, a TV host for some trashy entertainment show and Seneca Crane, who was a councilman for the City of Chicago.

“Right, 1945,” she said with a roll of her eyes. Looking at her watch, she stopped. “I understand that you have a meeting with Mayor Coin, Mr. Crane. I can escort you up to her floor.” She gave everyone else a smile except for Gale. “The rest of you are free to explore for the rest of the day. There is a café downstairs with some very delicious lattes. Once again, welcome to New York and to City Hall. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”

Thank God, she was done.

“That was wonderful,” Caesar told her and gave her a gracious smile. She was almost blinded by his neon bright teeth. “And you are a very lovely lady. Let me know if you ever want to get into show business.”

“Katniss isn’t going to be on TV,” Gale said. “She’s a writer.”

She turned to him. “How did you know?”

“You sent my company your portfolio,” he told her, not quite meeting her eyes. “I’ll walk Mr. Crane up. I have to talk to Mayor Coin anyway. Meet me in five minutes at the café.”

“Huh?”

“See you in five.” His back was already turned as Gale walked with Seneca towards the opposite end of the hall.

Katniss fumed. Who the hell did he think he was?

“Calm down, sweetie.” She turned to Cinna, who was grinning at her.

Portia put an arm around her and they led her the opposite way. “He sure is sweet on you. And it’s not a bad thing to have the mayor’s favorite nephew in your good graces.”

She blanched. “So he’s Mayor Coin’s nephew? No wonder he’s such a douche.” The duo laughed at her statement. “Really, he’s ridiculous.”

 “So you’re a writer?” Cinna asked, changing the subject.

“Trying to be,” Katniss told them. “Gale caught me working on some lyrics that my boyfriend sent me.”

“Your boyfriend is a performer?”

“He’s in a band that is touring with ‘The Tributes’ in Europe.”

“Your boyfriend is Peeta Mellark,” Portia stated with a snap of her fingers. “I’ve seen him perform. He’s very good—and coming up fast,” she winked. “And he’s very cute.”

“How come you’re working here?” Cinna asked. “You should be interning at a paper, not here.” He looked over at his sister. “Did you send any of your portfolios to magazines?”

Katniss shook her head, embarrassed. “I didn’t think about that.”

“We’ll be back tomorrow,” Portia told her. “We want to see your stuff.”

“Wow, great,” she said to them. “Thank you.”

“Now we’re going to walk you over to the café so you can let that boy know who you’re really longing for.”

++++++

“So he’s in a band?”

Katniss, who had been looking out the window, turned to see Gale looking at her. She could see the skepticism in his eyes.

“Yes, he is,” she repeated pointedly. “He’s very good.”

“I’m not saying he isn’t, but being on the road can’t be good for a relationship.” Gale took a sip from his mug. “You deserve someone who can devote their time to you. Someone not on tour.” His eyes shifted downward.

She snorted. “Oh yeah, someone like you?”

His eyes met hers. “Yes, like me,” he told her and placed a hand over her own which had been resting on the table. For some reason, she didn’t pull away. “I know he’s your boyfriend, but he’s gone. And for how long? Months? Years? Something like that can’t be real.”

Gale leaned forward and continued. “I like you, Katniss. I think I liked you long before I met you. I read through your portfolio and there was something really poignant and touching about everything you wrote. Seeing you in front of me has only heightened my interest. I’m here and I’ll wait until you realize that nothing can come out of this. WE could be real, if you wanted it.”

She couldn’t reply.

++++++

Today had been a weird day. She began writing a song with Peeta, been propositioned, and now she was getting the opportunity to show her portfolio to two editors for _Rolling Stone_.  All of her articles from her old high school paper were scattered all over her bed, as well as the ones she wrote for NYU. This was the opportunity of a lifetime.

She looked out the window and onto the street. There were only a few stragglers out, most of them homeless people settling in for the night.

Then her eyes went up to the moon. It was bigger than usual. She wondered if it was the same where Peeta was.

She realized how much she missed him.

Gale’s words suddenly repeated in her mind. He had said that they weren’t real. Part of her did question what was happening between them, but she couldn’t ignore how she felt.

And suddenly she knew what to write.

_Dear Peeta,_

_Great start. I’m working on the chorus. What do you think?_

**_Sometimes the things you want aren’t real_ **

**_So you keep reaching—trying to rekindle the fire, trying to keep it with you…_ **

**_Until I find it, I’ll look up to the sky_ **

**_Because my eyes are for the stars…_ **

_I know this is coming out of left field and we’ve never really discussed this but—am I your girlfriend? It’s just that I referred to you as my boyfriend today and I guess I’m just curious._

_Always,_

_Katniss_

She was sorting through her articles and had narrowed her choices down to her last few when she heard the beep of a new e-mail coming from her laptop.

Rushing to it, she opened the e-mail from Peeta.

_Dear Katniss,_

_The chorus is perfect. And to answer your question—yes._

_Love,_

_Peeta_

* * *

 

End of Part Two.

So as I announced on Tumblr, this will be a four part story.  I’m trying to work on this in-between chapters of ‘Again’, but I’m hoping to at least be consistent.

Anyway, there’s a lot going on.

Hope you liked it!

Next:  Six Months later, which will mark a year since they met.

Thanks for reading!

-JLaLa


	3. Part Three: I Will Follow You Into The Dark

Part Three!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie for being a wonderful beta and just a cool person overall!

_In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule_   
_I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black_   
_And I held my tongue as she told me_   
_"Son, fear is the heart of love"…_

_-Death Cab for Cutie_

Eyes Are For The Stars

Part Three: I Will Follow You Into The Dark

**_Six Months Later_ **

“So how does it feel to be another year older, Dad?” Katniss asked as she sliced a piece of cake and placed it in front of her father.

She had driven up to her hometown to celebrate her Dad’s sixtieth birthday. It was unbelievable how little things had changed in town. Everything remained the same, including her own ranch style house. Her room was untouched when she had arrived.

Prim, however, was the only thing that seemed to be changing. Her sister was now the same height as her. Her face had now sharpened since the baby fat had melted off and Katniss could see a distinct waist in the yellow fitted shirt that Prim wore.

“Feels good,” her father replied. “It’s even better because you’re here to celebrate with us.”

“How did you get the time off, sweetie?” her mom asked as she sat down next to her husband. “From your first couple of e-mails, it seemed like Effie couldn’t function without you.”

“I know,” Prim said as she held her fork close to her mouth. “It was Gale, wasn’t it?”

Katniss stuck her tongue out at Prim but nodded subtly to confirm it. What she had not realized six months ago was that Gale Hawthorne, the favorite nephew to Mayor Alma Coin, was moving from Chicago to New York to assist in his Aunt’s re-election campaign. That meant she was stuck seeing him during most events.

His flirtation had not ceased, but Katniss learned to tolerate and ignore it. Gale, however, found it funny and most of all endearing to see her blush whenever he did anything mildly teasing. She did feel guilty, however, for going over Effie’s head to get the time off to see her Dad.

Effie seemed to have no problem letting her go when Gale asked on her behalf.

“Yes, he asked for me,” Katniss informed them. “He’s my friend, that’s all.”

“I’m not sure how much I like the thought of two boys courting you,” her Dad said to her with a smirk. “What about the boy in the band?”

“Peeta.” She smiled at them. “He is the only one courting me, if that’s what you want to call it.”

“I just heard his song on the radio,” Prim said to her. “It was so exciting. Where is he now?”

“Spain,” she told them. “Then London—then who knows.”

“How do you do it, Katniss?” her Mom asked. “Isn’t it hard to have a relationship where all you do is e-mail each other?”

“People do it all the time,” her Dad said as he placed a hand over her mother’s. “Couples were separated for long periods during times of war and they only communicated through postal mail. It’s not so bad now.” He winked at her. “If it’s meant to work, then they will make it.”

Her Dad always knew how to make her feel better.

++++++

“What are you doing up here?” Prim asked as she sat next to her on the roof of their house.

When they were younger, the two would often climb up on it to look at the stars.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a sky this clear,” Katniss said, looking up. “I’m just memorizing, I guess.”

Her hand reached to touch the small pearl on the silver chain around her neck. It was a birthday present from Peeta. He had bought it at a small boutique next to the hotel they were staying in when he was in Amsterdam.

“You miss him, don’t you?” Prim asked softly.

“I know it’s silly,” Katniss smiled at her sister. “I had less than a day with him, but I still remember the touch of his hand and how warm his skin was. I remember how he kissed me—it was perfect.”

“He really set the standard for all other boys, didn’t he?” Prim joked.

They both looked out into their backyard where their parents danced in each other’s arms. They could hear the lyrics of Lionel Ritchie’s _Stuck on You_ coming from the radio in the kitchen.

Their parents had met in high school and had fallen in love at first sight. Their Dad came from a working class family while their mother was a debutante. Somehow, their father had managed to get the blessing to marry their mother and here they were.

“No, they did.” She nodded at their parents. “They set the standard.”

“Tell me about it,” Prim joked. “I’m totally screwed.”

“You’re just getting into college,” Katniss said to her. “Give yourself time before you up and fall in love.”

“You’re one to talk,” her sister replied. “Really, though—I can see it in your face. You light up whenever you talk about Peeta; it’s subtle, but I can see it. So can Dad—I think that’s why he’s letting this whole long distance thing happen. You know Mom, she’s just waiting for him to put a ring on it.”

Katniss elbowed Prim, who stuck her tongue out. “Shut up!”

The two giggled but stopped when they heard their Dad yell.

“To bed, young ladies,” he called out as their mother laid her head on his chest.

“Yes, Dad,” they chorused together before bursting into laughter again.

++++++

**_Barcelona, Spain_ **

_Dear Peeta,_

_Back home for my Dad’s birthday! I forget how much I miss home, but sitting here in my old room is such a comfort. Prim says that she heard your song on the radio! I’m so proud._

_How is Spain? How is the band? Has Cato gotten anywhere with Glimmer?_

_Any word on when you will get back to the States? It’s been a year since we’ve met and—I miss you. Sometimes, I worry that I’m forgetting what you look like or the sound of your voice. It’s not the same—hearing you sing a song. I guess I just want to see you._

_Did you read my article? Cinna said that the hits on the online magazine have doubled since I began writing for them. Hopefully, I can get something that is actually printed soon._

_Hope to hear from you soon!_

_Yours,_

_Katniss_

“E-mail from Katniss?”

Peeta turned to Finnick Odair, lead singer of ‘The Tributes’, grinning at him. The handsome man sat down next to him and read over Katniss’ e-mail before giving him a sympathetic grin.

“Being on the road is never easy,” Finnick said. “It takes us away from the ones we love, but we do it because there is nothing else for us.”

“How’s Annie?” Peeta asked his friend. “Any word on the baby?”

“Thank God for Skype,” Finnick told him. “I was able to help her through some contractions.”

Annie, Finnick’s wife, was in Seattle and waiting to give birth to their first child. The contractions had started last night while his band was performing to a crowd of thousands. Peeta had to hand it to them. Somehow, they made their relationship work.

Finnick and Annie had been high school sweethearts. They met while performing in a school musical where Finnick was the lead and she was the pianist for the orchestra. Not all of their private practices actually included singing or even music. Finnick formed the band after he graduated high school and then married Annie.

Annie was going to school in Tacoma, so she remained at home while Finnick toured the US. The same day that Finnick’s first single, _Cornucopia_ , hit number one, Annie graduated from University. This was their second tour apart and their first baby.

“How do you do it?” Peeta asked. He was having a hard enough time and it was only a year without her. Sometimes, he woke thinking he smelled her shampoo, but it would only be remnants of a wonderful dream. “I miss her, Finnick. At the same time, I feel like my dream of making it big is just within reach.”

“Well, Haymitch is offering to be your manager,” Finnick told him.

Haymitch Abernathy was the The Tributes’ manager. He was cutthroat when it came to making gig deals. Finnick and the rest of the band were rolling in money and very much in demand that it was almost definite that they would receive a Grammy or two this year. It was all because of him.

Haymitch was also a good man – granted, he was never without a flask – but he genuinely cared for the members of the band like they were his own kids.

“I know,” Peeta replied. “I’m thinking of accepting. Cato is game. So is Thresh, but I’m might have to find a new guitarist.” His guitarist, Dale, wasn’t cut out for leading the band life. He had a kid back in New York that he needed to be with.

“Maybe you should call your friend Thom,” Haymitch suggested. “He seemed like a really cool guy.”

Peeta nodded, his mind still on Katniss. Maybe he could ask her to come see him.

She was doing really well herself. Six months ago, Katniss had given her portfolio to Cinna and Portia Norwood, editors for Rolling Stone, and they had asked her to be a freelance writer for their online magazine. Her articles were interesting and every interview she had done made the reader feel like they were reading about a friend instead of a Grammy winner. She had a great way with words and the ability to draw emotions out of him. He had been in tears when he had read her article about Amy Winehouse. She had focused more on the person and not the performer. It made her loss in the music industry seem even more poignant.

How could he pull her away from that? She was still working at City Hall. That job paid her bills.

“Hey, bitches.” It was Johanna Mason, Finnick’s cousin, and the bass guitarist of The Tributes. “What are we all talking about?”

“Katniss and Annie,” Peeta told her.

“I really need to meet this chick of yours,” she said to him. “She must be doing something right because you won’t even look at another girl, even though they’re dying to be up against a wall with you.” She looked across the room and glared. “I mean, look at Clove over there. Girl has been trying to get in your pants for months. She’s a skank, mind you, but she seems to be really focused on getting some Peeta Mellark in her.”

“Well, it’s not going to happen.”

“Hey, hey now,” Johanna continued. “I’m not saying that you’re going to let her get in your pants, but sometimes she scares me. She has that determined glint in her eyes when she looks at you. If she wasn’t Glimmer’s best friend, then her ass would’ve been out of here.”

Glimmer and Marvel were the two other members of The Tributes and were brother and sister. Besides both being blond and blue eyed, the two had an easy going nature and sense of humor. It was hard to believe that sweet Glimmer had such a bitch of a best friend.

“Anyway,” Finnick interrupted. “How is the music coming along for your song?”

“It’s not,” Peeta said, frustrated. The song that he and Katniss were working on was put on hold once she started writing for Cinna and Portia. The tour had also been going at a rapid rate with them in another town every week.

“Let’s meet up later,” Finnick told him. “I think I might have a little tune for it.”

Peeta gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks, man.”

“Now write your girl back,” he responded. “Also, we’re going to be in London next week—just in case you want to tell her.”

“Tell her to hurry up,” Johanna added. “Or I might have to sock Clove for her.”

++++++

**_Three Days Later_ **

_Dear Katniss,_

_I miss you. Spain is Spain. I don’t see much of it because we spend most of our time practicing. Haymitch has offered to become our manager and I’m thinking of taking him up on the offer. What do you think?_

_The band is doing well. One of my bandmates is leaving, so I’m thinking of asking Thom to join us. Do you think he’ll accept? I know he’s getting married soon, so I don’t want to ask if they’ve finalized wedding plans._

_Cato has gotten nowhere with Glimmer. It doesn’t help that her older brother is on the tour with her, either. Poor guy, he really has it bad._

_I’ve been dreaming of you and I can’t believe it’s been a year since I’ve seen you. We’re going to be in London next week. Maybe you can come see us? Just a suggestion…_

_Missing you,_

_Peeta_

“You ready?”

Katniss looked up to see her Dad in the doorway. She was leaving to go back to New York. She hated to leave, but Effie was freaking out because there was a big convention coming up and she needed Katniss to help to organize it.

“I guess so,” she replied and her Dad walked over to her bed. She noticed how tired he looked. “You okay, Dad?”

He nodded and gave her a grin. “Just took a walk and it’s a little hot outside.” Reaching into his pocket, he handed her a check. “To cover your rent for a bit.”

“Dad, you don’t have to do this!” she folded it and held it out to him. “You’re paying for another daughter in college. You can’t keep giving me money.”

He shook his head. “No, no, Katniss. You should be writing, not working some administrative job. You’re so talented. I hate seeing your talent going to the wrong place.”

“I won’t be there forever,” she assured him.

He looked over at the screen. “How’s Peeta?”

“He’s doing well.” Katniss closed her laptop. “He wants me to go see him in London.”

“Well, maybe that check is meant to get you there,” he told her. “You only get so many chances at love, kid. If you’re lucky like me, your first shot hits it right on the bull’s-eye. Do you care for the boy?”

“I love him, Dad.” She blushed at her statement but looked her father straight in the eye. “It happened in a flash and here I am.”

“Go to him, then.”  Her father stood up. “Just tell Effie that you’re done.” He wavered for a moment.

Katniss shot up, suddenly concerned. Her Dad had turned grey and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. “Dad, you don’t look so good.”

“I don’t feel so good,” he said quickly. “Go get your Mom.”

“Sit down,” she replied in a rush. Hurriedly, Katniss helped him onto her bed before rushing out of the room.

“MOM!”

++++++

**_London, England_ **

“Peeta!” Finnick called out to him. “I need to talk to you.”

“What’s up?” He looked up from the dining table that he was working on—Peeta was in charge of the song list. They had just arrived two days ago and he was exhausted.

“I need to leave for Tacoma,” his friend said. “There is something going on with the baby. Some sort of respiratory issue and they need to operate.”

Annie and Finnick’s daughter was born three days ago and had been in the neo-natal unit since her delivery. They had named her Magda, after Finnick’s grandmother.

“I can do the first half of the show but I was wondering if you could finish the set.”

“What about Marvel?” Peeta asked. “Can’t he do it?”

“No, he doesn’t have the chops and he admits it,” Finnick told him. “I need you.”

“No problem,” he relented. His cell phone rang and when he saw the name on the phone, his heart leaped into his throat. Peeta looked at Finnick. “It’s Katniss.”

“Answer it!” Finnick urged and then fled the room to give him privacy.

Taking a deep breath, he touched the screen to answer the call. “Katniss?”

“Peeta.” Her voice sounded hoarse as if she had been sick. There was something else about it that sounded strange.

“Katniss, what’s wrong?”

“My Dad. He’s gone.”

++++++

It had been a heart attack. It was quick, because when she came back with her mother, he had already lost consciousness. By the time the ambulance had arrived, he was gone. Her father had died in her mother’s arms.

She had called work and told them what happened. Gale, of course, assured her that it would all be okay and that her job would be there waiting for her. Effie was sympathetic, too, and had given her more than enough time to plan the funeral and make arrangements for her mother.

Everything was happening so fast. They had just buried her Dad that morning. He was a well-liked man and everyone in town had attended the funeral.

When the last of the guests had left the reception at their house and she had brought her mother to bed, Katniss realized that she had not even thought about calling Peeta. Prim was asleep on her bed so she went outside with her cell phone.

Was it only a few days ago when she had watched her parents dance in the yard that she was standing in?

She dialed his number and waited.

“Katniss?” His voice was a comfort to her and she felt her eyes well up. She didn’t know that she still had tears in her.

“Peeta.”

“Katniss, what’s wrong?”

She bit her lip. “My Dad. He’s gone.”

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” he said through the phone and Katniss found that she couldn’t hold back. She began crying into the phone. Peeta must have sensed that she needed a good cry. “Let it all out.”

“It was a heart attack,” she told him. “It happened so fast…and my Mom is a wreck. Prim keeps on crying every five minutes. I’m a mess.” Katniss went over to the back porch so she could sit on its steps. “I wish you were here.”

She just wanted him to hold her like that morning when they woke up together.

“I wish I was there, too,” he said softly. “Finnick’s baby daughter is going into surgery and I have to perform in his place for the time being, but I will come to you. I promise.”

“No!” she heard herself protest. “You need to help him out and if you can’t come—I understand.” Katniss wiped her eyes. “I’m just being emotional.”

“You have every right to be,” Peeta told her. “You’ve just lost your Dad. I wish there was something I could do.”

“Just hearing your voice is enough,” she assured him. However, she was aching on the inside. Their separation seemed more evident at this moment. “I’d better check on my Mom. I’ll e-mail you soon.”

There was a moment of silence.

 “Katniss?”

“Yes?”

“I love you,” he said simply.

Katniss felt the smile on her face. “It’s the first time I’ve heard you say it.”

“I’ve felt it every day since I met you.”

++++++

**_A few days later_ **

“Katniss! Open the door!”

She sat up when she heard the familiar voice and ran to open the door. It couldn’t be.

But it was.

She threw open the door. “Delly!” Her friend pulled her into a tight embrace. Delly hugged her back and Katniss couldn’t help but smile when she saw that her friend’s blonde hair was tipped with bright lavender. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m making sure that you’re okay,” Delly replied. “How is everything?”

“Work gave me some time off—with pay,” she said. “I haven’t been feeling super good lately.”

“Get dressed,” her friend told her suddenly. “And where’s your passport?”

“What are you doing?”

“Thom has an audition—with Peeta’s band. He had to come back to New York because he _needed_ to get his special guitar from out of storage. We decided that you should come with us. I know there’s someone who is dying to see you.”

“Are you crazy?”

Delly put her hands on her friend’s shoulders. “Are you crazy? This is your chance to see Peeta! Come on. Thom is waiting downstairs in the cab.”

Katniss sat for a moment. This was her chance. She remembered her last conversation with her Dad. She had told him that she loved Peeta and he had told her to go to him.

So she would listen to his last piece of advice.

“Give me five minutes, Delly—and my passport is in the top drawer of my dresser.”

++++++

**_London, England_ **

“I’m Peeta Mellark and it has been a pleasure singing with The Tributes!” The crowd erupted in applause and screams.

The good thing about The Tributes was that while they were collectively loved as a band, each member was talented and had garnered his or her own individual fans. It wasn’t a big deal that they were missing their lead. Finnick was the only one with an official fan club, however.

Finnick had been gone longer than they expected. The baby’s surgery had taken longer and then both he and Annie wanted to make sure that everything was going well before he left. According to his call, Magda looked exactly like Annie.

So far, their fans had been accepting of him. Johanna had taken most of the solos while he did backup.

He had begun to feel his first stirrings of fame. While he enjoyed it, there was one thing that brought him back to reality.

Katniss.

Not being able to be with her had taken a toll on them. Her last e-mail had been short.

With a final wave, he and the band walked off stage. As soon as they disappeared from the crowd’s sight, he was assaulted by Clove. She threw her arms around his neck, and pressed her body against his. He looked over his shoulder and saw how annoyed Johanna was. Marvel scoffed and even Glimmer looked ashamed at her friend’s behavior.

“You were really great, Peeta,” Clove whispered in his ear.

Peeta felt his body react to her breath against his. He felt ashamed. Quickly, Peeta pushed her off him.

“Come on, Peeta,” she urged, undaunted. “One drink with me.”

“He doesn’t want to,” Johanna said angrily. “Get off his nuts.”

“Bitch, I wasn’t talking to you.” Clove went up to her. She had already had a few and was feeling confident.

The two faced off until Peeta stopped them. “Both of you calm down.” He turned to Johanna. “Let’s play nice.” He turned to Clove. “Just one drink.” Then to Johanna. ”I’ll be fine, but thanks.”

With a final glare, Johanna walked away.

Clove grinned. “Shall we?”

Peeta let her lead him away from the band and down the hall to where the dressing room was. On one of the tables was a half empty bottle of Patron and some shot glasses.

He sat on the chair next to the makeup table. Clove poured him a shot and handed it to him. She pulled up a chair adjacent to him after she poured her own shot.

“To a successful show,” she said to him.

They clinked their glasses and he threw the shot back. He felt the slight burn as it went down his throat.

“Thank you.” He placed the glass down on the table and gave her a tired smile. Peeta felt a wave of exhaustion hit. It had been a long week for him. He felt himself sink thinking of Katniss. More than anything, Peeta wanted her near.

“You miss her, don’t you?” Clove asked, her dark eyes boring into him. She leaned forward and crossed her arms resting them on her knees. “Tell me, what is so special about her?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “It’s not just one thing, but a million little things. Like the smell of her shampoo or how low and pretty her voice is. I can’t help but keep falling for her.”

“I heard about her Dad.” She handed him another shot of Patron. “That sucks.”

“I feel so helpless,” he admitted. “What kind of boyfriend am I?”

She placed a hand on his shoulder. “A good one. There are a lot of guys who wouldn’t even bother sticking around when a situation like that happens. I knew one once,” her eyes looked far away. “You remind me of him.”

He stood up, wobbling slightly as he walked.

Pouring her another glass, he handed it to her. “You need this more than I do.”

Clove stood up to accept the glass and threw it back, leaning her bottom against the makeup table. Placing it down, she leaned forward pressing herself against him.

Peeta closed his eyes and he didn’t realize how close they were until he opened his eyes. Their noses practically brushed against one another. His mind felt cloudy with exhaustion and alcohol.

“I know you’re lonely,” Clove whispered. “So am I. If you don’t tell, I won’t tell.”

Her mouth touched his slowly but he felt the heat of it spread like a wildfire. She was right.

Peeta was lonely—life on the road was not as exciting as he thought it would be. Especially when there was no one to share it with.

So he let her kiss him until he was responding. In his mind, he saw Katniss.

Katniss—who was an ocean away from him.

Katniss, who if he had opened his eyes, he would have seen standing in the doorway.

++++++

She bit her lip hard before turning and walking away. Katniss told herself not to cry. She had done enough of that during the last few weeks. As she walked down the hallway and made a turn, she ran into Johanna, who she had just met a few minutes ago.

Johanna grinned at her. “Did you find him?” Katniss nodded but she couldn’t stop her eyes from watering. “What’s wrong?”

“It was a mistake to come here,” she responded tensely.

“You saw him with Clove,” Johanna said. “I thought he would have brushed her off by now. He’s been tired and not being with you has taken a toll on him—“

“Don’t tell him I was here, okay?” Katniss walked quickly towards the backstage exit. “I’m going to catch a cab back to Delly’s.”

“Katniss, wait!” Johanna stopped in front of her. “I don’t want you out there trying to hail a cab. Take my driver, okay? I promise I won’t tell him unless he asks, though I think he will when he finds out that Thom and Delly are here.”

“I’ll be gone by then,” Katniss informed her. “I’m just going to pick up my things from Delly’s and then I’m going to Heathrow.” She gave Johanna a pained smile. “Thanks for letting me use your car.”

“No problem.” She placed a hand on Katniss’ shoulder. “Have a safe trip, Katniss.”

With a final nod, Katniss pushed the heavy backdoor open and walked out.

++++++

Peeta awoke feeling a heavy burden against his chest. Dark hair was splayed against his white shirt and for a moment, he thought that he was back on the roof of his apartment building with Katniss. Something felt wrong and he felt the sudden need to move away.

A chill ran through him. This wasn’t Katniss.

He shot up removing himself from her embrace. “Oh God, what have I done?”        

Clove sat up lazily. “Calm down. We didn’t do anything but kiss, then you passed out.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “You seem much more rested—“

“That was a mistake,” he said to her. “I never meant to kiss you. I had too much to drink and not enough rest.”

“But you kissed me and that means something,” she argued. “Maybe you weren’t meant to be with Katniss.”

“No, I was always meant to be hers.” He stood up and looked down at her sprawled out body. Somehow they had ended up sleeping on the couch. “I will never be yours.”

Rushing to the door, he ripped it open and made his way down the hall. They must have been out for at least an hour or two.

“Peeta!” He turned to find Delly and Thom rushing towards him. Delly threw her arms around him. “It’s so good to see you.”

“I was just finishing my sound check with the rest of the band then we were going to call you back,” Thom told him with an easy grin. “We also figured that you’d be busy with Katniss.”

His heart stopped. It couldn’t be. ”Katniss was here?”

Delly’s face dropped. “Did she not find your dressing room? I swore that Johanna gave her the right directions. She must be around her somewhere…” Delly fished into the pocket of her long leather coat and pulled out her cell phone. “Oh, I have a text from her! Silly girl.” She opened the message and read through it quickly. Her face fell into a frown. “She’s gone.”

“What do you mean she’s gone?” he asked loudly. “How long were you guys separated?”

“About two hours,” Thom recollected. “We wanted to give you guys some alone time so Delly watched the sound check from backstage.” He ran a hand through his hair. “What happened?”

Delly snapped her fingers. “Johanna would know!” She rushed down the hall and stopped on the last door. Knocking frantically, she waited until Johanna emerged. “Have you seen Katniss?”

“She took my car to your house and then to Heathrow,” Johanna told her. When her eyes met Peeta’s, he could see the disappointment in them.

Katniss had seen him with Clove. In one stupid moment, he fucked it all up.

“Why would she do such a thing?” Delly asked.

“Ask Peeta,” Johanna answered before closing the door in their faces.

++++++

It was nearly two in New York when she arrived. When she turned her phone back on, she was flooded with messages. There was one from Delly, which she responded to and ten from Peeta, which she ignored. Her body was tired but her mind was awake and filled with thoughts of what she had seen in London.

Peeta was holding someone else, kissing someone else. She had been a fool to believe that he would be faithful. She was even more foolish to believe that he had loved her.

Opening the door to her apartment, she threw her things on the bed. The flashing of her answering machine beckoned and she pressed the button.

_“Hello? Katniss? It’s Delly. What happened to you? Peeta is freaking out!”_

She deleted the message.

_“Katniss! Please call me back! I need to explain—“_

She deleted that one, too. Just hearing his voice caused her to tremble.

The walls seemed to be shrinking in her small studio and she felt her breath getting shallow. Putting her coat back on, she grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

Once she was on the sidewalk, she caught sight of a cab and hailed it. The driver took a look at her trembling lip and gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Where to, dollface?” he asked kindly. The driver hoped that he was taking her to a friend’s house. The girl looked like she could use someone to give her comfort.

“City Hall,” she replied simply.

“You sure? You know that it’s closed, right?”

She nodded. “I know security.”

Katniss leaned back as the scenery moved in front of her. It was now nearly four in the morning. The streets were empty with only a few drunks and party goers littering the sidewalks. As the taxi approached City Hall, she pulled out her badge.

“Thank you.” She gave him a twenty. “Keep the change.”

“Be careful out there,” he warned. The man decided to wait and make sure the girl got into the building safely. He had a daughter her age and would have wanted someone to watch over her if she looked that bedraggled.

Approaching the gate, she spotted a familiar figure. “Di!” Diaz was the nighttime guard; he was usually here with Kisha, who was probably inside the building.

“Katniss, what are you doing here?” Diaz, who was in his forties, was like her Uncle. He always made sure that she didn’t stay too late. “You look tired, baby girl.”

“I left my charger in my office and I need it for my computer,” she told him. It wasn’t true. “I was hoping to pick it up because I have an article due at around eight in the morning.”

He opened the gate for her slightly. “Kisha should be at the reception desk. “

“Thanks,” she said and rushed into the building. Kisha, the other guard, sat at the desk looking through her iPhone. “Hey, Kisha. I’m just going to go up and finish something for Effie. I couldn’t sleep thinking about it.”

“Girl, don’t you have time off?” she asked with a pointed stare. “You need some time to take care of yourself. Miss Fancy Pants can wait.”

“I know, but I just kept on thinking about it so I might as well.”

“Well, go on up…” Katniss left her muttering about people who overworked themselves. Turning to her left, she walked down the hall and was surprised to find one of the offices open. The faint sound of music could be heard as she approached.

_“Deep in my soul, I've been so lonely_   
_All of my hopes, fading away_   
_I've longed for love, like everyone else does_   
_I know I'll keep searching, even after today…”_

She peered into the crack of the door and was surprised to find Gale sitting at the desk, his iPod next to the computer playing the song. He was flipping through files and highlighting. An empty mug and a half-eaten Danish told her that he had probably been there for a few hours. Why in the world was he in the office at this time of the night?

Katniss knocked lightly and he looked up in surprise. “Katniss? What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” She knew how silly it sounded. “So I found myself here.”

“Come in,” he said. Gale stood up and walked around the desk to give her a hug. “I’m so sorry about your Dad.”

She felt safe in his arms. With Gale, she knew that she would never be in pain. Gale would never betray her and they had so much in common. It felt nice to be held and to know that someone wanted her.

Something shifted inside her and she found herself pressing herself against him. She just wanted to forget everything that happened in the last ten hours.

“Gale?” She pulled away from him and backed herself away until her bottom hit against the edge of the desk. “Do you want me?”

His eyes flickered but she was unable to read them. They weren’t at all like Peeta’s eyes, where she knew she would see the betrayal in the bright blue of them. Gale’s eyes were dark like hers and hiding something that she was hoping to unlock.

“Katniss, you know how I feel,” he said in a hoarse voice. Gale approached her carefully, almost afraid that any movement would break the spell that seemed to make her want him. “I’ve always wanted you.”

He stopped in front of her. Katniss looked up at him and she could see the heat in his eyes clearly now.

“Gale,” she whispered and her hand reached up to cup his cheek. She moved her knees apart so he could move his pelvis in-between.

He looked down at her expectant face. “What about Peeta?”

“That is over and here I am—for you,” she replied.

He didn’t need to be told twice, his hands reaching up to hold her face. His lips descended over hers, showing her how much he wanted her. She responded pressing her lower half against his while her hands fumbled with the leather belt of his pants.

Katniss felt his hand yank at the thin leggings that she wore over her tunic dress and she lifted her hips so that he could pull them down to her ankles. Her own body felt like it was on fire and she was surprised at how her body seemed to respond.

After unbuttoning the top button of his dress pants, Gale pulled her hips forward and she put her hands against the desk to support herself. She closed her eyes, hearing the sound of him pulling his zipper down.

When he thrust into her, Katniss felt her eyes water. There was no pain, only the sting of unfaithfulness. Her body betrayed her with its own frantic movement of her hips against his.

Now they were both bad.

++++++

Peeta rushed to his laptop when he heard the beep alerting him of a new e-mail. She hadn’t responded to his messages. Delly wasn’t talking to him and Thom was just disappointed at his behavior. Johanna had demanded that Glimmer ask Clove to leave.

Surprisingly, she was the one who had actually listened to his story, whereas Thom and Delly took Katniss’ side. He didn’t blame them.

Opening the e-mail, he found a new set of lyrics for their song:

**_I was a cynic once_ **

**_I couldn’t—I wouldn’t believe in wanting_ **

**_Because wants and needs are for children_ **

**_And I’ve grown up too fast…_ **

 

After the lyrics were two words:

_It’s over._

* * *

 

I know this was just horrible. This is why I couldn’t leave you on a cliffhanger and so hopefully you’re clicking over to Part Four.

So in this particular fic, Katniss (23) is five years older than Prim, making her 18 at this point in the fic.

The relationship between the Everdeen parents is totally different from Again, if you haven’t noticed.

“We’ve Got Tonight” is sung by Bob Seger.

It takes about seven hours to get from London to New York unless there’s wind, which could cause a 30-40 minute delay.

Yes, I know this is effed up.

Thanks for reading!

-JLaLa


	4. Part Four: Hiding My Heart

The final part of Eyes Are For The Stars (not counting the Epilogue).

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie for her amazing beta skills!

_I wish I could lay down beside you_   
_When the day is done_   
_And wake up to your face against the morning sun_   
_But like everything I've ever known_   
_You'll disappear one day_   
_So I'll spend my whole life hiding my heart away…_

_-Adele_

Eyes Are For The Stars

Part Four: Hiding My Heart

**_One Year Later_ **

“Shouldn’t you get going, little lady?”

Katniss looked up from her laptop and nodded before closing it. The office was nearly empty. Once Cinna had ascended to editor in the New York office for _Rolling Stone_ , he had hired her right away. She was now an official writer for the magazine.

It had been an amazing year for her profession-wise. She had been able to help her mother to pay off their house. Prim was flourishing at NYU where she had decided to go, following in her sister’s footsteps. Her major was English since she wished to teach.

Katniss looked at the watch on her desk and grinned. “I guess so.”

“Do you know what Gale has planned for you?” he asked curiously.

“You know him. Something grandiose that will get me in trouble with his Aunt,” she replied.

Dating the mayor’s favored nephew had not been easy. She was expected to look and act a certain way. One would think that she was on the same level as Kate Middleton.

They certainly tried to make her emulate the future Queen. Her once wavy locks were now sleek and straight. She had also cut about two inches off so that it hit below her shoulder. Her wardrobe was packed with labels – Chanel, BCBG, Diane Von Furstenburg, and Trina Turk, all provided by Gale. The good thing was that Cinna had helped her with selecting her wardrobe, which was simple but chic.

“Help me out, will you?” she asked and turned her back towards him. “I can’t zip it up.”

“What a dress,” Cinna remarked as he zipped the knee-length dress up. It was lovely; nude with black lace overlay, it clung to her body, giving her slightly boyish figure some curve. “Who made this fabulous dress?”

She turned to face him and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You did.”

“Damn straight,” he replied. Cinna had let her in on his secret passion, which thanks to her would not be a secret for long. Wearing his design would garner enough press to make sure that Cinna was in next season’s Fashion Week. “Better get a move on. Don’t want to keep Loverboy waiting.”

“See you tomorrow!” she called as she ran out of the office.

++++++

“Where are we going?” she asked as she was led blindly.

Gale kissed her neck. “Just a few more steps and I’ll take the blindfold off.”

“This isn’t some sort of sex thing, is it?”

“Katniss…” Gale trailed off, embarrassment in his voice.

“Oh God, someone is with us, right?”

“Hey, Baby Girl.” It was Diaz and she could hear the laughter in his voice.

“Hey, Di,” she responded weakly. “At least I know where I am.”

“Not quite,” Gale said as he pulled her blindfold off.

She gasped, seeing the ‘City Hall’ tiling sign in front of her and above the beautiful circle stained glass design.  To her left were the tracks for the train. Katniss turned to Gale and threw her arms around him.

“Only you would bring me somewhere like this.” This part of the station was only used to loop the 6 before it went Uptown. “Didn’t we have a fight about this when we first met?”

“I merely corrected you about the actual date that it opened,” he answered. “I didn’t know that you would be so annoyed with me.”

It was beautiful—there was something serene about being in the empty train station. It made her feel like they were the only people in the world.

Gale was forever trying to give her the best.

“I guess I’ll be taking off now,” Diaz said. He went to Katniss and took her hand. Kissing it, he smiled fondly. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks, Di.”

With a final wave, he descended up the stairs.

“Now why are we here?” she asked him. “I thought we were going to dinner.”

“After,” he assured her and then gave her a quick kiss. Gale then took his phone from his pocket and she watched as he typed a quick text. Quickly, he put the phone away and then turned to her. “Dance with me?”

She stepped closer to him, her heels clicking against the platform. “There’s no music.”

Suddenly, a guitar intro was blaring over the intercom. Gale smiled softly at her. “You were saying?”

“Smartass,” she retorted as he pulled her close.

They swayed to the music. How did they get here? It seemed so long ago that Katniss had come to him after—she didn’t want to think about it. She had come to him for comfort, but it had become so much more.  As time passed, they grew from friends into lovers.

_“Maybe it's intuition_   
_But some things you just don't question_   
_Like in your eyes_   
_I see my future in an instant_   
_And there it goes_   
_I think I've found my best friend…”_

Gale pulled away from her slowly, his hands still holding hers. Inside, she felt her heart begin to race.

“Katniss, you’re my best friend and even before I laid eyes on you—I knew that there was something special about you,” Gale started. “I remember the day I read your article about your first autumn in New York and I remember feeling like I was there with you as you walked through Central Park, watching the leaves turn. I wanted to be there with you…I want to be there with you.”

“Gale, what are you trying to say?”

Slowly, she watched him get on one knee.  “I’m asking if I can spend the rest of my autumns with you. I’m asking you to marry me.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the velvet box and held it out to her.

Her hand shook as she reached for the box. Carefully, she opened it to reveal a thin, white gold band with a large pear-shaped diamond. “Is this real?”

Gale laughed at her expression. “It can be. Will you marry me?”

She didn’t realize that she was crying until her vision began to blur. Her face was a mess but somehow, Katniss found herself nodding as Gale sprung to his feet to place the ring on her finger.

“I love you, Katniss,” he whispered in her ear as he pulled her into his arms.

She closed her eyes contentedly, trying to ignore the familiar set of blue eyes that invaded her thoughts.

++++++

**_Seattle, Washington_ **

“You okay?” Finnick asked as they stood backstage. “Remember, watch that chord change.”

“It will be fine,” Peeta replied, though inside he was shaking.

Haymitch had booked them at a club in downtown Seattle and there were a few thousand packed inside.

The surprising thing was that the people were there to see _his_ band, not Finnick’s.

Peeta Mellark and the Districts were rising quickly in fame. Their tour with The Tributes had been successful and thanks to Haymitch, their album was being released in a week.

The six months in the studio had been grueling. If he’d thought that Haymitch the manager was tough, Haymitch the producer was a slave driver. Peeta had been pushed to a point of exhaustion and there were many times when he simply walked out of a studio session.

It had paid off though, because here they were now, performing the last song on the album. The single that would be premiering on radio stations in a week’s time and the hardest one he ever had to sing.

It was her song. No, it was _their_ song.

A year had passed without any word from Katniss. Last he had heard, she was now writing for the printed version of _Rolling Stone_.

That was about all Delly would tell him. It took her a few months to forgive him. She did, however, forgive him in time to let him witness her quickie marriage to Thom. They were married during a stop in San Francisco before their tour bus headed up to Seattle.

He had sung the song that he written with Katniss for their wedding dance. After she had heard it, Delly had forgiven him and cried all over his shirt.

“Let’s go,” Finnick said and together the two walked on stage. Finnick would be playing the piano for him. He had been the one who had created the tune for the song and Peeta had been more than happy to add his name to the song credits.

The spotlight hit him as he walked onstage and the screams of his fans filled his ears with joy. He went up to the stool and sat in front of the mic.

“This last song will be the first single released from our album,” he told the crowd. “I hope that you enjoy it.”

Finnick started the slow tune and Peeta looked out into the crowd. He always hoped that he would find her there.

Taking a deep breath, he began to sing.

“Grey eyes, embedded in my mind…”

++++++

_“I love you, Katniss.”_

She shot up from her bed. Oh God, it had been so real. She still felt his arms around her and the sunrise hitting her face.

Looking to her right, Katniss found that she was alone in bed. Gale must have had an early meeting.

She had moved into his penthouse two months ago. It was closer to her office, anyway. Pulling the sheets to cover her nude body, she went to the dresser and fished out one of his long shirts.

They had spent the night celebrating their engagement instead of going to dinner. She had no doubt that there would be press outside their building because they had decided to forego the reservation.

Walking out of the bedroom and down the hall, she went into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She walked to a nearby window and looked out over Central Park. Katniss had sure come a long way from her Canal Street view.

Their penthouse had floor to ceiling windows with plush grey carpets and a huge fireplace in the living room. She loved it, but she also missed a time when she lived a simpler life.

Her eyes caught the glint of her engagement ring. Life would not be getting easier.

She went into the kitchen and turned on the radio that sat on the island in the middle of the kitchen.

“This is Heavensbee, your morning DJ, and I’m playing the jams to start your day right…”

Katniss walked over to the window wondering how she was going to tell everyone about the engagement.

“And now I’m going to be playing a single by an up-and-coming band. The lead singer has quite the chops and from what I hear, he ain’t too bad on the eyes, either. Let me know what you think about the new single from Peeta Mellark and the Districts!”

_“Grey eyes, embedded in my mind…”_

Her mug crashed onto the marble floor.

++++++

**_One Week Later_ **

“Hey superstar,” Delly greeted Peeta as he and Thom walked off stage. She gave her husband a kiss and then linked arms with Peeta. “Where are we going to eat? I’m so hungry!”

“What do you feel like?” Thom asked. “Only the best for the baby protector,” he said, rubbing her still flat belly affectionately. Right after the ceremony, Peeta was told that he would be an Uncle in seven months.

“Nachos. With sour cream on top,” Delly responded. “And some chocolate milk.”

“I think I have some chocolate milk on the bus,” Peeta offered.

Together they walked toward the tour bus, chatting about their next few stops. Peeta reached the bus first and opened it for his expectant friend.

Inside, he found Haymitch on his cell phone. His usually scraggly blond hair was tied back and he was wearing a pair of dark olive khakis. A black cotton tee hung off his slim form.  His manager gave him a wave and a strained smile.

“Uh-huh…and all accommodations will be provided?” Haymitch listened for a moment. “That’s perfect. Thank you!” When he hung up, Haymitch gave him a gruff smile. “Pack your bag, we’re about to go bi-coastal.”

“What are you talking about?” Peeta asked curiously.

“You are performing in Central Park for the Spring Festival,” he informed him. “And Mayor Coin is throwing a big celebration for something or other and has asked you to perform at City Hall.”

Peeta couldn’t process what Haymitch was saying. All he heard was New York. He hadn’t been there since that night in the club. The night he had met Katniss for the first time.

He felt a small glimmer of hope.

“That’s not all. _Rolling Stone_ wants to do an interview with you,” Haymitch continue. “This is the big time, boy!” He patted Peeta’s arm quickly—that’s the most affectionate that Haymitch got.

“ _Rolling Stone_?” He turned to Thom and Delly. They both smiled, but he could see the nervousness in it.

“I’d better go tell the rest of the band.” Haymitch rushed out. They heard the triumphant yell once the bus door was closed. There was probably a lot of money coming from this.

He turned to the couple again. “Okay, I know what you’re thinking. I’m going to be fine. It’s been a year.”

“We know, Peeta but—“ Delly took his hand and led him to the couch. “I subscribe to the New York Times and—“

“Maybe you should just show him, babe,” Thom told her.

Delly went to her tote and fished out a folded newspaper. “It’s the society page.”

He smiled indulgently and unfolded it. His breath caught. It was her.

She looked different. It was the first thing he noticed. She was much more groomed; her hair was straight as opposed to the wavy blanket that he had slept against. Her smile was small but pretty and he could tell that she was uncomfortable. Adjacent to her portrait was a photo of handsome, dark-haired man. He too was well-groomed, though he looked much more comfortable in front of the camera than she did.

His eyes caught on to the headline: _Writer engaged to Mayor’s nephew_.

Slowly, he walked over to the couch and sat, his eyes still glued to the paper and her smile.

“Peeta, are you okay?” Delly asked worriedly. “I just saw it two days ago and I couldn’t bring myself to show you.” Truth be told, she had thought about calling Katniss. However, the fact that her husband was in a band with Katniss’ ex-boyfriend had put a strain on their relationship. She hadn’t talked to her friend since that night in London.

He read over the article. They had been friends first, and had gotten together a year ago. Right after she told him it was over. He understood now – her quick break off with him.

Her fiancé was a well-liked political figure and the Mayor’s campaign manager. It had been ‘love at first sight’ for her handsome fiancé. According to the article, Gale had proposed to her in the abandoned underground railway station. It was a special place to them, apparently.

His eyes zeroed in on the slightly smaller photo of her hand with the massive pear shaped diamond on her finger.

This was real. She was gone forever. Katniss would never be his.

“I’m happy that she found someone,” he managed to say quietly. “I couldn’t give her the life she deserved.”

“There is one more thing,” Thom said to him. “The City Hall party—that we’re performing in—is their engagement party.”

Is this how it felt to have your heart stomped all over?

“I just have to suck it up.” Peeta stood up and gave them a smile. “I’m going to take a quick nap. Let everyone else know, okay? I don’t want to be disturbed for a while.”

With that, he walked off to the end of the bus where the bedroom was and closed the door quickly behind him.

“You think he’s going to be okay?” Thom asked his wife.

“No,” she replied. “Did you notice that he didn’t give that paper back to me?”

++++++

**_One Week Later_ **

“Katniss!” Portia rushed over to her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “Congratulations, girl! Let me see!”

She presented her hand, indulging her good friend.

“What a bauble,” Portia said as she examined it. “I love it.”

“It’s going to look even better with the dress that I designed for her,” Cinna said. They all walked into his office where the mannequin wearing her engagement party gown stood. The top was an off-white corset with pearls sewn against the bodice while the skirt was tiered and created an ombre effect, going from off-white to gold as it reached the bottom.

“Holy moly,” Portia said as she fanned herself dramatically. “You’re going to look spectacular.”

“Well, it’s for Cinna,” Katniss responded. “I could be naked for all anyone cares.”

“I think Gale might mind,” Cinna said. “Though knowing Loverboy, he wouldn’t mind you naked if it was just you two.”

“Speaking of loverboys, I wanted to talk to you,” Portia started. “Have a seat, Katniss.”

Katniss sat in the chair opposite Cinna’s desk while Portia sat across from her in Cinna’s chair.

“Do you know who Haymitch Abernathy is?” she asked.

When she heard the name, Katniss had to keep her hands from shaking by folding them together.

“Of course,” she answered calmly. “He’s the manager of The Tributes.”

“He’s also Peeta Mellark’s manager,” Cinna said as he stared at her. “But I suspect that you knew that already.”

“Anyway, Peeta and his band are coming here—for your engagement party,” Portia informed her.

“And why was I not told?” Katniss demanded. “It’s my engagement party!” Though she knew that this was purely done by Alma, or Mayor Coin; she preferred to refer to her future Aunt as Mayor.

“I suspect that she knows nothing about your past with Peeta,” Cinna suggested. “Or she does and she wants to see how you’ll react. Though I think this mostly has to do with her campaign. She is trying to reach a younger demographic. Having an up-and-coming musician like Peeta perform at your party will get her into more papers.”

“There is one more thing,” Portia said. “I arranged an interview with Peeta here at the office and we wanted you to interview him.”

She thought for a moment. Everyone was trying to get a story about the ‘next big thing’ and Peeta was it—in the music world. It shouldn’t have bothered her. They were over a long time ago and she only wished the best for him.

Katniss did have one question.

“Why me?” she asked quietly. Her hand automatically reached for her neckline. It was bare, but once upon a time, Peeta’s necklace had laid against her skin, reminding her that he was always with her.

“Because if anyone could show our readers who the real Peeta Mellark is, it would be you,” Cinna replied simply.

++++++

“I wanted to talk to you,” Katniss said as her and Gale sat in his office. “Do you know who your Aunt booked as the performer for our engagement party?”

“She didn’t do any booking,” Gale informed her. “Effie’s new assistant did. You know her—Madge.” He popped a grape into his mouth. “My Aunt wanted to reach the younger voters.”

As they both worked busy hours, they tried to spend some quiet time together. Sometimes it ended up being times like this, eating in Gale’s office during their lunch hours.

“It’s our engagement party, not a political rally,” she argued. “Gale, she booked Peeta Mellark.”

He placed the sandwich that he was about to eat down. Gale looked at her worriedly and she could see the wheels turning in his head.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked. “I should talk to my Aunt—“

“No, it’s silly,” Katniss interrupted. “I can suck it up.”

He took her hand. “You never talked to me about what happened between you two.”

She could see it then. His fear. He was afraid that she would leave him for Peeta. As tough as Gale could be, Katniss could see the vulnerability in him. These small things made her want to show him affection despite her reluctance to openly show it sometimes. Moving around the desk to where he sat, she placed herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“It’s in the past,” she assured him. “I’m marrying you. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Gale leaned his forehead against hers. Pressing his lips against hers, he pulled her closer against his body.

She was an hour late coming back to the office.

++++++

“You okay there, boy?” Haymitch sat next to him as they waited for Katniss to appear.

They both sat in a room overlooking Times Square. Bottled water, coffee and sandwiches sat on a table across the room, but his stomach was in knots. On the intercom, music from a local station played.

“I’m fine,” Peeta replied with a wave of his hand.

“So I’m finally going to meet her,” his manager said. “The one that got away. The girl who made you famous.”

“Please don’t do this right now,” Peeta pleaded.

“You know what? I’m just going to let you do this alone.” Haymitch stood up. “I can tell that I’m not helping.”

His manager walked to the door, closing it silently behind him as he left. Peeta shot up from his chair and went to the window, watching the crowds weave through Times Square. He had too much restless energy to just sit and wait. He listened to the guitar intro coming from the speaker overhead.

_“Hey there Delilah_   
_Don't you worry about the distance_   
_I'm right there if you get lonely_   
_Give this song another listen_   
_Close your eyes_   
_Listen to my voice, it's my disguise_   
_I'm by your side…”_

“This song is quite fitting, isn’t it?”

Peeta turned to see Katniss smiling at him. His breath caught. Time hadn’t changed her much, as she was still very beautiful. Her hair hung loose today, curling at the ends and her eyes were still as deep, dark and grey as they were when he first met her. She was wearing a red linen dress with short sleeves that went to her knees. On her feet were patent leather black heels.

“It is,” he agreed as a smile spread onto his face. “Hello, Katniss.”

“Hello, Peeta. It’s been awhile,” she said evenly to him. “Have a seat.”

Peeta watched her walk gracefully towards the seat opposite the couch. She placed her recorder on the coffee table between them as she sat. He did not notice her bag next to chair until she fished through it and pulled out a notebook.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he told her as he sat on the couch.

“This is going to be easy,” Katniss assured him. “We actually had some of your fans write in questions via Twitter. I’m just going to ask them and then we’ll be done.” She reached down to turn on her recorder.

“Before you turn that on, I wanted to say something.” Katniss sat back, folding her hands over the pad. “It’s really nice to see you again.”

“Thanks,” she replied softly. “We should get started.”

Katniss leaned forward and turned on the recorder.

++++++

He was just as handsome as she remembered.

Katniss tried not to shake, but being in the same room as him—it was overwhelming. The electricity between them seemed to be as strong as ever. Time had never diminished it, though she had hoped it would. She suddenly felt like that college girl that he first met.

“So Peeta, how does it feel to have your first album out?”

“It’s exciting but scary,” he told her with an easy grin. “It’s been years of practicing and doing club appearances. I’ve sacrificed school and college. I’ve seen very little of my family. There have been some gains and some losses.” His eyes met hers. “This album is my biggest gain.”

She gave him a smile to let him know that he was doing well. Looking down at her notepad, she asked the next question.

“Do you have any special rituals that you do prior to performing?”

“Nothing in particular,” he answered. “Once in a while, I do look up at the sky if I’m performing outdoors.”

Katniss snorted and tried not to smile. “Why would you do something like that?”

“Because no matter where you go, the sky stays the same—the constellations never change. I don’t feel so alone because…” he stopped and looked into his lap.

“Because?” she asked.

Peeta looked up, his blue eyes luminous as he stared at her. “Because I’m hoping that someone else is looking up at the sky, too.”

Why was she so nervous all of sudden? They were two very different people now. She was engaged, for goodness sake. She shouldn’t care about how he looked or the way he smiled. Katniss took a deep breath.

“You okay there?”  Peeta inquired. “You looked far off for a moment.”

“’I’m fine.” She looked at her notepad again and bit down a groan. “So your new single—“

“—Eyes Are For The Stars?” He leaned forward, his mouth curved slightly as he watched her fidget.

“Yes, that one. What was your inspiration for the song?” she asked, her voice trailing off.

“I met this girl a long time ago,” he told her. “She was beautiful; still is, actually. She told me once that she was always trying to look for stars in the city. She kept on doing it despite the fact that it was nearly impossible. The night I met her—I found the stars for her. The look on her face when she saw them, it was like looking straight into one.”

“Stars are just a ball of gas burning. They’re like fire,” her joke came out weakly.

“Looking at her was like having a slow, burning fire consuming my body,” he continued, his voice quiet and she could hear the pain. “I wanted to burn for her. I _want_ to burn for her.”

Katniss turned off the recorder and glared at him. “Stop. Don’t do this, Peeta. I’m trying to keep this professional, but if you can’t do this, then I can go—“

“I’m sorry,” he said to her. “I’ll be better.”

She nodded tersely and turned the recorder back on. Once more, she looked at her notepad to look at the question she had to ask. The next one also made her want to stop this interview, but she read it out loud anyway.

“What is your favorite love song?”

“It’s called ‘On the Street Where You Live,’” he told her. “It’s from _My Fair Lady_. My mom loves that movie and I used to watch it with her. I learned all of the songs, but this one was a particular favorite.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that song before,” she remarked as her eyes remained on the notepad.

“You haven’t?”

Katniss shook her head. This article was going to be a disaster, she could tell already.

_“I have often walked_   
_Down the street before,_   
_But the pavement always_   
_Stayed beneath my feet before._   
_All at once am I_   
_Several stories high,_   
_Knowing I'm on the street where you live…”_

Her head lifted at the sound of his voice. Like their first meeting, she was entranced by it. She had always known how talented he was, but she was surprised by the operatic tone that he seemed to carry so well.

“Wow.” Katniss couldn’t help but smile.

“Do you know what the song is about?” he asked her and she shook her head. “It’s about a guy who loves a girl. Sounds pretty simple, right? However, he loves her so much that to just be walking down a street that her feet might’ve touched brings him absolute joy.”

“When you say it that way, it sounds really nice,” she told him.

“My parents were next door neighbors when they were younger and I think that the song reminded them of a time when they were just falling in love,” he recalled. Peeta met her eyes. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

“A walk?”

“I need some air,” he told her. “We can take a cab to Central Park. I haven’t been there in a while.”

“Aren’t you playing the Festival in two days?”

“Yup, but that’s all business.” Peeta stood up and walked over to her side, holding out his hand to her. “Come on! It’ll be fun.”

Katniss sighed but agreed by placing her hand over his so that he could help her up. She wasn’t used to the impulsiveness of his character. Had he always been this way? It was strange to know so much and yet so little about him. Their person-to-person contact when they were together had been for less than a day. She, on the other hand, spoke to him more than most of the people she knew, with the exception of Gale.

Together, they walked to the door and Peeta opened it for her first. As they went down the hallway, she tried to ignore the stares of the people passing them by.

When they got to the elevator, Peeta gave her a comforting smile. “You look nervous.”

“I’m okay,” she replied.  Despite that assurance, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Katniss found herself squeezing back, feeling the ease that she always did whenever she had talked to him. He let go and Katniss felt a slight pain hit her.

Looking down at her hand, her eyes caught sight of the ring she wore.

She thought of Gale and how he had worried about her talking to Peeta. There was nothing between them, however. Not anymore, and she was going to marry Gale. She loved Gale.

Despite that, a nagging thought ran through her head. Yes, she loved him but was she _in_ love with him?

The elevator ding broke her out of her thoughts. The door opened and Haymitch, along with Portia and Cinna, stood inside.

“Hey there, Peeta,” Haymitch greeted him as they walked out of the elevator. He turned to Katniss. “So this is the girl that brought you to number one on the Billboard?”

“My name is Katniss,” she said, annoyed by his presumption.

“Wait, we’re number one?” Peeta asked and his manager nodded. Without warning, he picked Katniss up and spun her excitedly. “We’re number one!”

She steadied herself when he placed her down. “Congratulations, Peeta.” She gave him a hug and Peeta’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. She felt her body begin to heat up and recalled how he had talked about burning for her.

Slowly, she pulled away—her cheeks burned and her eyes went to Cinna and Portia. They both looked amused, though she could see something else behind Cinna’s smile.

“We’d better get going,” she told them and then looked at Haymitch. “Nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you, too, sweetheart.”

She glared at him before entering the elevator. As it closed, Katniss saw him turn to Cinna.

“She’s got spunk. I like that.”

++++++

“So how is everyone?” she asked as they walked through the park. “Thom? Cato?”

“They’re both doing well,” he replied. “Thom and Delly are expecting a baby, you know.”

“I didn’t.” She looked to the ground. “I guess I haven’t spoken to Delly in a while. Since the incident…”

“Listen,” Peeta stopped. “For whatever it’s worth, I didn’t sleep with Clove. I was drunk and I missed you. I let myself get caught up—“

“It’s over,” she told him. “I’m fine. We’re exactly where we’re supposed to be in life.” They continued walking. “Isn’t it strange to be at that point where we know exactly who we are and what we want in life? I remember when you and I didn’t know what was going to happen to us.”

“Are you happy?” he asked her.

She nodded. “I love to write and I didn’t think I would like working at a music magazine, but surprisingly, I do. Cinna and Portia are great and they listen to my ideas.”

“And Gale? Tell me about him.”

“He’s a good man. He makes me laugh a lot and doesn’t mind the late hours I work,” she said. “We’re both very busy. His aunt puts a lot of pressure on him in the office, but he takes it well.”

“And you’re marrying into that?”

“I’m marrying him, not her,” she replied. Katniss did realize, however, that marrying Gale would include having to deal with his overbearing Aunt. She knew that she could handle it, though she did worry that Gale would cave when it came to Alma.

“And you’re in love so it shouldn’t matter. Right?”

“Of course.”

Peeta stopped and then turned to her. She felt her stomach drop when he looked into her eyes.

“I’m really happy for you,” he told her. “I wish you nothing but the best because you deserve it. I do wish that I could’ve given you the life that you wanted. It just didn’t work out that way. I do want you to be happy, Katniss. Even if it’s not with me.”

“Thanks.” She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re still going to perform at the party, right?”

Peeta gave her a pained smile. “Of course. I want to celebrate your happiness.”

++++++

The next night, Katniss found herself at a twenty four hour café near the penthouse. She listened to the recording for the millionth time, yet nothing came to her. She had no angle for Peeta’s article and it was due the following afternoon.

Gale was stuck at some dinner meeting and texted her to say that he wouldn’t be home until well after midnight. The businessmen were from Tokyo and wanted to go to a lounge for booze and loose women.

A knock on the café window interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see Peeta waving at her. Katniss beckoned him in and gave him a smile.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as he sat across from her.

“My parents came into the city and I took them out for dinner,” he told her. “They just left. What a bummer. It would’ve been nice to introduce you.” He looked over at her open laptop. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to write your article,” she admitted. “Nothing is coming to me. I have no angle and I don’t want your first piece in the magazine to suck!”

“Calm down,” he said firmly. “You’ll come up with something. Maybe it was the questions. Couldn’t get much from the ones you asked…”

“True, though you do have a very nice voice. Ever consider Broadway?”

“Maybe in a few years,” he replied.

“Interesting…” She found herself grinning. “I never thought you would consider musical theater.”

“I played Tony in my high school production of _West Side Story_ ,” Peeta informed her. “It was fun and I’d do it again if I had the chance.”

“Can I put that in the article?”

He nodded. “I’m heading back to my hotel. Do you want to come to the suite? We can talk more about the article. I’ll order room service.”

“Didn’t you just eat?”

“I ate the tiniest piece of chicken and it cost me forty dollars,” he told her and she laughed at his exasperation. “I need a steak, or some fries, and maybe some ice cream. You coming?”

There was no way that she could get this done without him, so she nodded. Closing her laptop, she put it in her bag along with her recorder. “Let’s go.”

The ride to his SoHo hotel wasn’t very long. She was surprised that it was a smaller boutique hotel, though very luxurious looking. When she walked into the lobby, Katniss was impressed by the sleek, modern interior. It was all dark marble and because of the time of night, it was dimly lit with blue lighting while a wall waterfall stood in front of her.

Peeta nodded once to the people at the desk and led her to the elevator. He had the top floor and when she entered, she was amazed by how big it was. The living room had a large sectional in front of the fireplace and a flat screen television stood above the mantle. Past that, through the floor to ceiling window, she could see a large swimming pool outside. Steam floated above the water, so she knew it was warm.

“Impressive,” she said as she walked in. Peeta took her bag and placed it on the couch.

“I like it,” he replied with an easy grin. “Did you eat?” She shook her head. “I’m ordering some food for us. Do you mind if I get burgers?”

“No, I could use one actually,” she replied.

“Cool. Kick off your shoes and give me a minute while I call downstairs.” He walked to the left where two double doors stood—the master bedroom.

Her feet were killing her, so Katniss took off her stilettos and sat on the couch. It felt plush and she found herself drifting off.

Before she knew it, her eyes closed and she was asleep.

++++++

Peeta walked back into the living room. He found Katniss fast asleep on the couch where he left her.

He didn’t know what had come over him during the interview. He could tell she was different, but there were still remnants of the girl he loved. Yet he was attracted to who she had become.

She was sophisticated and obviously wealthier than before, though he suspected that she had a doting fiancé who provided her with these lovely things. Her cream cashmere sweater, AG jeans and Manolos told him that. Katniss wasn’t overly spoiled, however, for she still had a fresh look in her eyes.

His eyes soon zeroed in on her ring finger. She was getting married. He was only hurting himself by pining for her. However, something inside told him that until she had a wedding band on that finger, she was still fair game.

Walking over, Peeta knelt beside the couch. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he shook her gently.

“Wake up, beautiful,” he whispered into her ear. She still smelled the same.

Peeta watched her eyes flutter open and when she was fully awake, she gave him a smile.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“A few minutes.”

Katniss sat up and adjusted herself on the couch. “Sleeping on the job, that’s probably not professional.”

“It’s fine.” He joined her on the couch. “It was the snoring that looked unprofessional.”

Katniss thwacked him on the arm. “I do not snore!”

He laughed. “I’m kidding!”

She relented and then looked him over. “Speaking of unprofessional, you’ve dressed down.”

He looked at his hooded sweater and jeans that he had thrown on in his room.

“It’s my suite, so I can wear what I want,” he declared.

“Even stevens then,” she replied. They both laughed at their conversation. “We’re both a little silly, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but in the best possible way,” he told her. Settling down, Peeta looked over at her. “So how are your Mom and Prim doing?”

“They’re good,” she told him. “Prim is actually going to NYU. She lives in my old studio.”

That meant that she was living somewhere else, mostly likely with _him_. He pushed the thought aside.

“That’s great. I’d love to meet her.”

“I think I can arrange that,” she said to him. “She loves your music. She brags that her sister is ‘grey eyes.’”

“Well, she does get full bragging rights to that,” he said as he stood up. “Do you want some coffee?”

“Sure.” He went to the bar and retrieved a coffee machine from a cabinet. Katniss watched him take out a filter and a can of coffee grounds. “I’m usually wedding planning at night since I have no time during the day and it takes a lot out of me.”

“Don’t you have some sort of coordinator for that?” he asked her as he scooped the grounds into the filter.

“Yes, but Mayor Coin thinks that I should be more involved and learn some event planning.”

After he filled the coffee maker with water, he sat next to her and placed his feet on the coffee table.

Looking over at her, he admired her profile. She looked so relaxed with her feet tucked under her bottom.

“I always thought you would get married in a much quieter way.” She turned her head to look at him. “Like, in the middle of the Scotland moors, or in an English garden.”

She shook her head. “I always thought I’d get married at my house, with just family and some close friends there. My Mom would cook dinner and we’d set up a night time picnic. I’d dance with my husband in the same yard that my parents always danced in.”

“Sounds nice.” He met her eyes. “What’s your guest count for this wedding?”

“Almost a thousand,” she replied and he could hear the anxiousness. “Almost a thousand people staring at me and wondering how the hell a ‘nobody’ could marry Gale Hawthorne.”

“You’re somebody.” Katniss looked over at him and he could see her swallow nervously. “You’ve always been somebody.”

There was something in her eyes, but he couldn’t quite read it. “Peeta—“

A knock interrupted them; it was room service. The spell had been broken and they didn’t mention it for the rest of the night.

++++++

**_The Next Morning_ **

Peeta woke up to the sun hitting his window as it rose. There was a faint smell of flowers coming from somewhere.

No, it was someone.

He looked down to find Katniss asleep, her head resting against his chest.

Peeta tried to think back to what happened the previous night. They had spent the night talking. He told her about his family and about how his first real paycheck had paid off their home. It had also bought his parents a trip through Europe for their wedding anniversary. She told him about how her mother had decided to go back to work to get her mind off things. She worked as a receptionist for a doctor in her hometown.

They had spent the night getting to know each other again. And he had fallen for this new Katniss, with her sophistication and her innocent smile.

Then nothing – he guessed that they had just fallen asleep.

The sunlight caught the glint of her ring and it caused reality to come crashing back. Her fiancé was probably worried sick about her.

“Katniss! Wake up!” He shook her. “It’s almost sunrise.”

Her eyes opened instantly and she jumped from his embrace. “Oh my God! Gale must be freaking out!” She reached for her bag and threw her things in it. “I have to go.”

Peeta sat up and went to get her shoes. Retrieving them, he handed them to her quickly.

“Katniss, we should talk,” he said and she turned to him, her eyes panicked.

“What? What do we need to talk about?” she demanded.

“Us.”

“Peeta, there is no us.” She went to the elevator. “I have to go.”

With the ding of elevator door opening, Katniss ran inside.

“You’re wrong,” he told her.

Peeta stared into her grey eyes until the door was fully closed.

++++++

She practically ran from the taxi to the elevator. Looking at her phone, she saw that the battery had died. When she reached their floor, she found Gale staring out the window.

“Gale!” He turned and she was instantly in his arms.

“I was so worried,” he said as he held her. “Where were you?”

“At Prim’s,” she lied. “I guess I forgot to charge my phone and we just fell asleep while we were talking.”

His lips fell into a relaxed smile.  “Maybe I should buy Prim a phone for her studio.”

“No, it’s fine,” Katniss said and took his hand. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Leading him to their bedroom, she stripped her clothes off. The room was warm enough so that she could sleep in the red bra and boy shorts that she wore. Gale sat on the foot of the bed watching her. When she was finished, she went to her fiancé and proceeded to help him with his clothing. He was still in his business suit.

“What time did you get home?” she asked as she pushed back his jacket.

“Around three,” he said as she removed his tie. Katniss unbuttoned his dress shirt, exposing his bare chest to the warm room. “I figured you might’ve been at the office, but when you didn’t call, I got worried.”

She kissed his forehead. “I’m sorry I made you worry.”

He pulled her onto his lap so that she could straddle him. “You should make it up to me.”

Katniss undid his belt as he laid back. Pulling it off the belt loops, she held it above her head and stretched it quickly so that it made a snapping crack.

She leaned down and kissed him softly. “I guess I should.”

++++++

Katniss tapped her pen against her desk as she looked at the blank Word document. It had been a strange day for her. The words wouldn’t come out and onto the screen. Yet, she could hear Peeta telling her about his life as they sat in his suite.

Her eyes went to the picture of her and Gale in the Tiffany picture frame. It was one of the photos that did not make onto the society section. Both of them were laughing as he struggled to put her stiletto back on. Katniss had almost fallen during this particular photo, but he had managed to stop her. That’s how Gale was, always the hero.

She felt guilty; she could admit it to herself now.

Because there had been a time last night where she had felt the sparks return between her and Peeta. It was while he was telling her about the bakery that his family owned and how when he was with a kid, he would help his father knead the dough.

Peeta didn’t want to venture out into producing or managing another band when it was all over for him. In the end, he wanted to take over the bakery and teach his children how to knead bread like his father taught him.

She could imagine him in that life, but then another image floated into her head. It was one where she was in that bakery, too. Katniss could see herself learning to knead bread with Peeta’s arms around her waist as he whispered instructions into her ear. She blushed at the thought. It was such an intimate image.

“Are you okay?” Cinna asked, standing in front of her.

“This is going to be a disaster,” she admitted. “The words won’t come out.”

“I have every faith in you.” Cinna sat down in the chair in front of her. “Maybe your angle needs to be a little more personal. You knew Peeta before he became famous. People need to know who he is, because then they will understand his music better.”

“You’re right.”

“Put yourself into this article,” he said. “Your view of him is important.”

Instantly, it clicked. She knew what to do.

“Thank you. Can you give me until this evening?”

“Sure,” Cinna said. “Good luck, sweetie.”

Her eyes went back to the blank screen and her fingers went to the keyboard, ready for her words.

_‘I first met Peeta Mellark when we were young and fresh-faced. He was performing his last song, a cover of Journey’s ‘Faithfully’ when our eyes met across the room…’_

++++++

The magazine had sold out in the first three days. It definitely helped that Peeta and the band graced the cover. Cinna had styled them and the four men stood stoic in business suits, staring straight into the camera. Peeta stood in the middle, a step closer to the camera and his blue eyes were brighter against the dark suit. Katniss could see the mischievousness in his eyes.

Her article had been a rousing success. Portia had edited it and when she was done, she had tears in her eyes.

She tucked the magazine under her arm as she walked into City Hall. Katniss was meeting Gale for lunch.

“Hey, Katniss!” It was Madge Undersee, Effie’s new assistant. She gave her a smile. “Great article! I have a subscription to the magazine and that cover – just wow. And that article – I mean, if girls thought that Peeta was great before, they are totally going to fall for him now.”

“Thanks, Madge,” she replied. “Have you seen Gale?”

“He’s with Mayor Coin,” Madge said and Katniss could see the tension in her eyes. “Good luck in that room.”

Katniss waved her off and took the elevator up to the highest floor where the Mayor’s office was located. She said hello to Coin’s bored secretary. This one was new, for Mayor Coin changed secretaries like people changed clothes.

“Go right in,” she told Katniss.

Katniss knocked lightly on the door and heard the terse voice of the Mayor. “Come in.”

Opening the door, she found Mayor Coin behind her desk. Her black business suit made her silver hair look even brighter and somehow sharper. Gale sat in front of her and she could see that they had been arguing because his face was crimson.

“This article is causing us a lot of trouble, Katniss,” Mayor Coin declared as soon as the door was closed. “I’ve had Marketing work on a statement just in case there’s backlash.”

“Why would there be backlash?”

The Mayor’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Katniss. Finally, she turned to Gale. “Talk to your fiancée.”

With that, she stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

“What is this, Katniss?” He placed his copy of the magazine on the desk and she could see the anger in his eyes.

“I don’t understand.”

He opened it to her article. “Talking to Peeta is like talking to a friend. He is personable and charming. When he looks at you, it’s like you’re the only person in the room and you’re safe. You would spill your secrets just to have him smile at you,” he read out loud. “This is like goddamn love letter, Katniss!”

“What are you talking about?” Her defenses were suddenly heightened. “It’s an article.”

“I’m having a hard time not believing that there isn’t anything going on,” Gale argued and he ran a hand through his hair. Jumping up, he began to pace the room as she watched. “And that song – it doesn’t help. If people catch on that you two were involved…”

“You know that song was written partly by me,” she responded. “You saw it in its baby stages and there’s nothing else beyond that.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to her. “Have you not heard the end of that song?”

Katniss shook her head and looked down at her hands. “I never could get the courage to finish it.”

“I suggest that you do,” he told her. Gale knelt in front of her. “I love you and if you tell me that nothing has happened, then I’ll believe you. Did something happen? During that interview?”

She swallowed her tears and looked at him. “No, nothing happened.”

Kissing her forehead, he took a deep breath and stood up. “I’m going to talk down my Aunt.”

Katniss nodded numbly and he left the room. She was hurt by his lack of trust and overwhelmed by it all.

And what the hell was with this song?

++++++

She figured it out later that night when she heard the rest of the song.

_**“You, with the grey eyes broke me** _

_**And I don’t know if should thank you—or let it go** _

_**I’m always looking for answers in a faded world** _

_**I’m hoping you’ll bring back that hope…”** _

__

Katniss wiped her eyes and pressed the pause button on her iPod. He was supposed to be over her. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

She had moved on—or had she?

Somehow, the engagement ring on her finger felt heavier. Was she making the right choice by marrying Gale? She loved him, but was it enough to sustain them for the rest of their lives?

She thought of her parents. More than anything, Katniss wanted a marriage like her parents had. And she had thought that she would get that with Gale because she felt safe with him—she felt steady.

With Peeta, however, it was chaos. Her heart was full of it when she thought about him.

Pressing the play button on her iPod, she listened to the rest of the song.

_**“Thank you for your beautiful soul** _

_**And the reminder that the world is still okay** _

_**I guess I need those grey eyes** _

_**More than I know…”** _

  
There it was. And he was right – it wasn’t over.

Picking her phone up from the table, she looked for a number that she had not been able to erase. When she found it, Katniss pressed the call button.

She waited, wondering if she should just hang up when—“Hello?”

“Peeta, it’s me.”

“Katniss, are you okay?”

Her eyes filled with tears. “No, I’m not,” she said into the phone. “Can we talk?”

“Of course,” he replied. “Do you want meet somewhere?”

“Central Park on the East Side,” Katniss told him. “Ten minutes?”

“I’ll be there.”

++++++

He found her sitting on a park bench. She was in a burgundy coat and with a cream beret on her dark hair. She looked lost as she hugged herself. Sighing, he walked over to her and she looked up at him when she heard his boots against the ground.

Katniss gave him a watery smile. “Hey.”

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“I never listened to the whole song,” she started. “And I finally did today.” Katniss looked over at him. “You still love me.”

“Katniss, I never stopped,” he whispered. “What happened in London was a mistake. Clove got me drunk, and I messed up. I understand that I have to pay for what I did. I think, however, that there was a moment when we were together last night that made you realize that there could still be something between us.”

Her hands gripped the park bench. “Then what do I do? Tell me!” She pointed up at the building across from them. “Upstairs, there is man who loves me and wants to marry me. He makes me feel safe and I love him. Then there’s you. And you confuse me and piss me off, but you make my heart flip every time I see you…”

Peeta knelt in front of her. His own eyes felt the burn of tears beginning. Leaning his forehead against hers, he took her hands.

“Katniss, I just need to know,” he said. “Do you love me?”

She sobbed at the question. “Yes,” she admitted. “I love you more now than I did before.”

“I love you, too,” Peeta said. He willed himself to speak his next words. “And that’s why you should marry Gale. I can’t give you what you need. My life is not my own anymore and being on the road isn’t easy for a relationship. You need stability, you need Gale.”

She nodded, knowing that he was right. It didn’t stop the pain that seemed to invade her insides.

“So that’s it, then?”

“That’s all it can be, Katniss. You belong here. I don’t.”

++++++

“You look so pretty, Katniss,” Prim said as she fixed her sister’s train. “Are you excited?”

“Of course,” she nodded and looked down at the dress. Cinna had altered it so that it fit perfectly. She was having some trouble breathing, though. Her anxiety was at an all-time high.

Walking over to the mirror, Katniss looked at her reflection. She didn’t look like herself. Her hair was placed in an elegant chignon and she had more makeup on her face than she had ever worn in a lifetime.

Katniss met her mother’s eyes in the mirror and gave her a nervous smile.

“Prim, why don’t you give me and your sister a moment before she meets Gale?” Prim nodded and left the room.

They were on the top floor of City Hall adjacent to the Mayor’s office, using the room as her dressing area.

“What’s up, Mom?”

Her mother put a cool hand to her cheek. “I just want to make sure that this is what you want.”

“Of course, Gale is perfect. He makes me feel safe,” she told her. “Like Dad did for you.”

“Yes, he did make me feel safe, but at the same time he could wreak havoc on my heart when he looked at me,” her mother told her, her eyes far away. “Sometimes marriage isn’t about taking the easy road. I know I didn’t and I don’t regret it one bit.”

She looked at herself in the mirror. “Momma, am I making the right choice?”

“That’s up to you, baby.” Her mother met her eyes in the mirror. “Choose the one that you can’t survive without.”

A knock sounded on the door. “Katniss?” It was Gale. “They’re ready for us.”

Giving her Mom a smile, she walked out of the room.

++++++

As they walked down the hall in silence, Gale stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at her for a moment.

“Let’s make a pit stop,” he said and together they walked down the stairs to his office. He opened the door for her. Katniss sat in one of the chairs, her arms hugging her encased bodice. Gale sat on the edge of his desk and watched her for a moment.

Their eyes met and realization dawned over his face.

Gale sighed sadly. “I hoped that you would just admit it,” he told her.

“What?” she asked.

“Did you think that I wouldn’t call Prim’s cell first?”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean for it all to get so far. And I love you—“

His eyes glistened as he looked at her. “Just not enough, right? I hoped that you would grow to love me as much as you love him. You just couldn’t give enough room in your heart, could you?” The question wasn’t an accusation, but a sad realization about their relationship.

Katniss stood up quickly and went to him. She took his face in her hands and looked into the dark eyes that were so like her own.

“My heart was never mine,” she told him brokenly. “I think it was always his.”

Her words broke them both and he pulled her into his arms. Katniss cried into his chest and he tightened his hold.

“I’m so sorry,” she told him. “You have been nothing but wonderful to me and you deserve everything wonderful in life.”

He lifted her chin and Katniss could see the tear tracks on his ashen face. “So do you.”

++++++

Peeta sat in the waiting room. Mayor Coin was making a speech having more to do with the campaign rather than her nephew’s wedding. Cato walked over and joined him on the couch.

“Dude, we don’t have to do this,” he said. “You can’t watch her dance with him. That’s just fucked up.”

Peeta shook his head. “Haymitch made a deal and we should follow through.”

Thresh and Thom joined them. Pulling up chairs across from the other boys, they both gave Peeta looks of solidarity.

“I’m going to be fine,” he assured them. “She deserves more than me.”

“And what about you, Peeta?” Thom asked him. “Don’t you think you deserve more than this? Fame won’t last forever. It’s the people with you at the end that will keep you going.”

“She’s not mine anymore.”

A knock on the door interrupted their meeting. Thresh opened the door and there stood Gale Hawthorne.

“May I speak to Peeta?” he asked, his voice dull.

Thresh looked over at him. “You good, dude?”

“I’ll see you on stage,” Peeta assured them.

The rest of the band walked out. Thom gave him a final look before closing the door behind him. Gale and Peeta sized up one another for a moment.

He seemed perfect for Katniss.

Gale spoke first. “You’ll take care of her, right?”

Peeta eyed him carefully. “What are you talking about?”

“I suggest you go to the third floor, second door on the right from the stairs. Be good to each other.”

With that, Gale quickly turned and walked out.

++++++

Katniss wiped her eyes. She probably looked like crap.

Looking around the empty office, Katniss remembered all of the times she had spent there with Gale.

She needed to get out of this place.

Standing up slowly, she hiked up her skirt and took off her sparkling heels. Holding them with one hand, she opened the door and walked out into the dim hallway. The lights had been lowered since no one was walking through except security.

As she stopped to fix her skirt, Katniss heard the rush of footsteps. When she looked up, Peeta stood a few feet away from her.

They stared at one another, both unable to speak.

“What are you doing here?” she finally managed to ask hoarsely.

“Life won’t be easy for us, Katniss,” he started as he walked towards her. “And I don’t know you very well. I don’t know your favorite books or whether you had braces when you were younger. I don’t know anything about your first boyfriend or your first kiss. I do know how soft your hand feels in mine and how your eyes are a little hazel when the sun hits them. I know how you light up when you see a star in a city sky.”

He cupped her cheek in his hand. “Tell me how I can make you mine.”

Her hand went to the wrist of the one holding her cheek.

Turning it, Katniss exposed his wrist and tenderly placed a kiss on the bare skin.

She looked up at him, her eyes full. They didn’t know what would happen tomorrow or the day after that. They knew it wouldn’t be easy.

But they would be together.

And for now, that was enough.

**FIN**

* * *

Yes, super long. I’ll keep it short.

“I Knew I Loved You” is sung by Savage Garden.

"Hey There Delilah" is sung by Plain White T's.

“On The Street Where You Live” is from the musical _My Fair Lady_. A co-worker of mine was playing it while we were closing one night and I thought that it would be an awesome song for Peeta to sing.

There’s actually another movie where this song is mentioned. Do you know what it is?

There will be an epilogue to this which will take place four years later.

Thank you if you got through this. I appreciate it.

See you at the epilogue!

-JLaLa


	5. Epilogue: Lucky Now

Finally, the epilogue. Thank you if you’ve made it this far.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie for her hard work and support. She is the best.

_If the lights draw you in_   
_And the dark can take you down_   
_Then love can mend your heart_   
_But only if you’re lucky now…_

_-Ryan Adams_

Eyes Are For The Stars

Epilogue: Lucky Now

**_Four Years Later_ **

_Manhattan, New York_

The tour bus was a mess; papers piled high on one side, pictures hung haphazardly against the wall.

It was home, however, and had been for the last four years.

Katniss looked up at the photo that hung above her makeshift desk, the picture of her and Peeta dancing in the backyard of her childhood home. Her Mom had altered her cream-colored dress so that it fit her curvier daughter.

It had been the dress that her mother was married in—and the dress she had also been married in.

There weren’t many guests at their wedding, just her mother and Prim, along with Peeta’s band. Of course, Delly had been there too, along with Mason, her and Thom’s little boy. Finnick and Annie were there with Magda, who gurgled and giggled through the ceremony. Johanna came and dragged Haymitch along since she needed a ride.

The guest count mattered very little to her. All she cared about was the man who stood under the daisy-laced archway, waiting for her. She could still remember how bright Peeta’s eyes were and the feeling of her skirt brushing against her ankles as she walked towards him.

That was exactly four years ago. Today was their wedding anniversary.

A knock interrupted her thoughts. The door to the bus opened and Delly walked up the steps leading inside.

“Hey, we’re all waiting for you,” she told Katniss.

“I’m just sending my last article to Cinna,” Katniss replied before closing her laptop.

Cinna had pitched the article idea to her when she decided to go on this second tour with Peeta. It was a weekly blog about her experiences being on tour with the band. Sometimes, she would interview Peeta’s opening act to give them some exposure.

Getting up, Delly linked arms with her and they walked out of the bus together. It was nice to have another wife on the tour and it had brought the two women back together. Delly was the one who helped her get through her first tour.

As they walked to the back door of the club, Katniss could hear the people screaming outside. The excitement was palpable.

After all, Grammy winners usually don’t perform in small clubs. This one was special, however.

“I feel like we’ve done this before,” Delly joked as security opened the door for them.

“I think we had a different view the last time we were here,” Katniss responded with a grin.

As they walked backstage, they waved to the staff and security that joined them as they made their way to their destination. Delly and Katniss had been labeled ‘District Wives’ for important events such as award shows or any other event requiring that they be carefully watched. The staff and security were very protective of the two women.

As they reached the left hand side of the stage, Katniss peered out to see the massive crowd. Every space of the club was filled, but she spotted a familiar column and something inside of her jumped.

It was the same column that she had leaned against the very first time she saw Peeta sing.

“I think Johanna is finishing up,” Delly said as she turned to look at the stage.

After ‘The Tributes’ disbanded, Johanna decided to work on her solo career. Finnick helped produce her record from the new studio he created in his Seattle home. This was her first tour without the band and so far, the response was good.

Johanna sat on a stool in the middle of the stage. Her burgundy tinted hair shined even brighter with the spotlight on her. A stagehand took her guitar from her and then walked off stage.

“Thank you to everyone who came out to see us,” she said into the mic in front of her. “This is a very special night because this is the last club that Peeta Mellark and the Districts played at before they hit it big. I know some of you were probably at that last show.” Several loud screams were heard. “We have another reason to celebrate tonight.” Johanna turned to look at her and waved. “Does anyone know that today is Peeta and Katniss’ wedding anniversary?”

The crowd cheered in response.

“I sang this song for their first dance as husband and wife along with my former bandmate, Finnick,” Johanna continued. “Tonight, however, I will be singing with—ladies and gentlemen—Peeta Mellark!”

The piano introduction began as Peeta walked onstage to join Johanna and the cheering only grew. Johanna gave Peeta a hug before turning to bow at her.

Katniss laughed and waved back. The two had grown rather close since their first meeting.

Raising the mic to her mouth, Johanna began their wedding song.

_“Do you wanna be a poet and write?_   
_Do you wanna be an actor, up in lights?_   
_Do you wanna be a soldier, and fight for love?"_

“Katniss?” She turned to see Rue, her and Peeta’s assistant. “She woke up and wanted you.”

Katniss nodded as Rue gently handed her the little mop of brown hair that was their daughter, Paloma, or “Lo” as everyone called her.

She was only three years old, with thick curls and large blue eyes. On her ears were the noise-cancelling headphones they used to dull the noise for her young ears. Katniss held her daughter, who looked up at her before snuggling into her mother’s chest.

_“Be anyone you want to be_   
_Bring to life your fantasies_   
_But I want something in return…”_

_“I want you to burn_   
_Burn for me baby_   
_Like a candle in my night…”_

She didn’t know that she wanted to be a mother until the day she felt Paloma kick. It was hard and swift and ready, letting her mother know that she was there to stay.

They named her after the street they had lived on while waiting for Katniss to go into labor. Her last month of pregnancy was spent in San Francisco, where they had rented a house while Peeta and the band played a month-long gig at the Warfield Theater.

Lo had spent a majority of her life on the road. Though it had been okay for a while, lately, Katniss was beginning to have doubts.

She looked down at her now sleeping daughter and rocked her gently.

It was still a little soon, but Katniss knew one thing.

She didn’t want to raise the baby inside her on the road.

++++++

_“I'll lay down on your bed of roses_   
_Offer up my heart and soul_   
_But in return…”_

Peeta looked over to where Katniss stood, along with Delly. In his wife’s arms was their little girl, Paloma, who was fast asleep.

Life had rapidly changed for them over the last four years. He had proposed only six months after they got back together. They were married two months after that. Then Katniss was pregnant with Lo and he was now the father of a very lively three year old.

Lo was curious and sweet, but stubborn just like both of them. She was constantly asking them, “Why?” and he loved that.

He worried that this life was not ideal for her. She slept in-between him and Katniss for a bit before they got her a smaller bed in the corner of their room. However, he knew that she would eventually become too big for that bed.

His eyes went to Katniss, who smiled at him. She was beautiful and glowing. He still saw the young girl wearing the beret whenever he looked at her.

_“Laugh for me, cry for me_   
_Pray for me, lie for me_   
_Live for me, die for me…”_

He harmonized with Johanna, who was brilliant as usual. She had truthfully told them that she was afraid to go solo. Finnick, however, had been supportive about her moving forward without the rest of the band.

Glimmer and her brother, Marvel, had gone to Hollywood. Fame found them quickly and the two had a reality show that was rising in ratings.

As for Clove—he heard that she went back home. Glimmer told him that the boy she had loved did bear a striking resemblance to him. That boy was also buried in their hometown due to an overdose. Clove had been the one to find him, and according to her friend, had never been the same since.

He hoped wherever she was now, she was some sort of happy.

Johanna was just finishing the last line of the song when he looked over at Katniss again. She was still rocking their daughter and Peeta watched her tenderly kiss their girl on the forehead.

A swell of emotion rose inside him and he raised the mic to his lips. “I love you, Katniss.”

She looked up at him, her eyes shining and mouthed the words back to him.

++++++

Katniss kissed Lo on the forehead before placing her in her bed. The small bed she slept in was in the corner of the one bedroom on the tour bus. Across from her, Peeta laid in their own bed, watching as she tucked the little girl in.

Crawling over to Peeta, she kissed him before lying down beside him. “I’m exhausted.”

They looked at one another for a moment. Peeta reached over and caressed her cheek. Katniss instantly relaxed at his touch and stared into his eyes.

“I can tell,” he replied as she yawned. “You always were when you were pregnant with Lo.” Peeta’s lips slowly moved up into a small smile.

“So you knew,” she said. “How did you find out?”

“It’s not a very big bus. So keeping a secret here is no good.” Plus, he had heard her throwing up in the bathroom the previous morning. He reached over and placed a hand on her belly. “Are you happy?”

“I am.” She grinned at him. “Are you?”

He thought for a moment. “I’m very happy. I just think that I’m tired of this. The touring, the small bus… Lo and the baby are going to get bigger—God willing. I don’t want them growing up on this bus. They should have a real home, one with a field for them to run in and a porch for us to sit on so we can watch over them.”

“So what are you thinking?” she asked as he inched closer to her. Katniss rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat against her ear.

He ran a hand through her hair. “I think it’s time for us to find a house that doesn’t have wheels.”

++++++

“Daddy!”

Katniss and Peeta looked to see Lo pointing to a butterfly that was flying right above her head. They decided to take a walk with her through Central Park. It was rare to get a break, so the little family jumped at the chance to get out of the crowded tour bus.

“I think it likes you, sweetie.” He turned to Katniss. “We might be raising an entomologist.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” she replied as they watched their daughter running in front of them. “All those pit stops we had on the road—everyone would be grabbing food or using the bathroom, but Lo would be dragging you over to some overturned rock. She just had to show you the bugs she found.”

Lo stopped in front of a bench where the butterfly landed. The couple froze in their tracks when they saw who was sitting on the bench in front of them.

“Momma, Daddy—looky!”

Lo pointed to the butterfly, only inches away from Gale Hawthorne.

Gale’s eyes met Katniss’. It had been four years since they laid eyes on one another. Now, here they were with her daughter inches away from him.

She could see him struggling. Lo looked over at the man and gave him a toothy grin.

“See the butterfly?” she asked Gale and his eyes seem to warm at the sight of the little girl.

“Yes, it’s pretty,” he replied quietly. “What’s your name, darling?”

“Lo.”

“Lo?”

“Short for Paloma,” Katniss said as they approached him. She gave him a small smile. “Hi, Gale.”

Returning her smile, he stood up. “Hello, Katniss.” He turned to Peeta. “Hello, Peeta.”

The two men shook hands. Peeta looked from his wife to her former fiancé, then placed a hand on Katniss’ shoulder.

“I’m going to take Lo over to the lake,” he told her. “Why don’t we meet there in a few minutes?”

Katniss nodded and he gave her a quick kiss. Then she kissed her daughter before blowing a raspberry on her cheek. The little girl giggled.

“Love you,” she said before they walked away.

“Marriage works for you. So does motherhood,” Gale said as they watched Peeta and Lo walk away.

“I didn’t know that I wanted either until Peeta and Lo,” she replied as she watched them. Katniss turned to see Gale staring at her with hurt in his eyes.  “Oh God, I’m sorry, Gale. That was a horrible thing to say! I’m just a little overwrought right now. Can I sit down?” He nodded as they sat on the bench.

His eyes were full of worry. “Are you okay?”

She looked over at him. Gale, even after all this time, still worried about her. Memories of their past flooded her mind. For a long time, Katniss felt guilty about leaving him. She had experienced so much happiness after they had parted. She always wondered what happened to him but never got the courage to look him up.

“I’m fine,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Just pregnant.”

“You are?” His face fell into a grin. “Congratulations!” Gale looked genuinely happy for her and the pang of guilt returned.

“Gale—listen. All these years, I never said thank you or even I’m sorry for how it all ended.” Katniss wrung her hands nervously. “I did love you. More than you think I did and it hurt to say goodbye. Because you were more than a fiancé—you were my best friend.”

Gale nodded, his eyes sad. “I can’t tell you that it didn’t hurt,” he replied. “There were a lot of days after that where I couldn’t get out of bed. But in time, the pain lessened and there were people who helped me get out of my funk.”

His cheeks colored as he finished.

Katniss looked over at him before breaking into a sly smile. “People or person?”

“A person,” he said and she saw how his eyes lit up. “I don’t think I understood why you did what you did until I fell in love with her.” Gale took her hand and kissed the top of it. “Be happy, Katniss.” Reaching over, he wiped the tear that ran down her face. “I know I am. It took a while, but I am.”

She let out a wet laugh. “Sorry about the waterworks. When I was pregnant with Lo, I was a hormonal mess and it looks like this pregnancy will be the same.” Katniss patted his hand. “What’s her name?”

“You know her,” Gale told her. “Madge.”

“Madge Undersee? Effie’s assistant?”

He nodded. ”Yup. She now works at the Plaza as their event planner. And she isn’t Madge Undersee anymore. She’s Madge Hawthorne now—has been for about a year.”

She looked to his left hand and wondered how she didn’t notice the platinum band resting on his ring finger.

“That’s really great, Gale. Madge is a really nice girl. I always liked her,” she said to him.

The sound of footsteps made her look up and she spotted Madge approaching them. She was wearing a dark business suit which contrasted nicely against her soft curls. The glint of the large diamond that rested on her left hand caught Katniss’ eyes immediately. She once had a diamond like that and it made her feel awkward. However, it looked perfect on Madge.

“Katniss?” Madge rushed over to her and hugged her quickly. She was engulfed in the light, flowery scent of Madge’s perfume as the woman held her. “It’s so great to see you! I’ve been keeping tabs on you and Peeta. Gale and I read your weekly article religiously.”

Katniss looked over at Gale, her eyebrows raised and her smile teasing. “Oh, really?”

“Congratulations on Peeta’s Grammy win,” she continued breathlessly. “He must be happy.”

“It’s been a long time coming,” Katniss replied.

“Listen, we have to go,” Gale told her. “Dinner with my Aunt. Let’s catch up soon, okay?”

Katniss knew that it would be one of those dates that would never happen, but she nodded anyway.

“By the way, congratulations on your re-election— _Mayor_ Hawthorne.”

He grinned and kissed her cheek. “Nice seeing you again, Katniss.”

With a final wave, she watched the two walk to the black limo that was waiting on the sidewalk.

“You okay?”

Katniss turned to see Peeta with Lo in his arms, her head against his shoulder.

“She needs a nap,” he explained. Peeta could see the relaxed look on her face. He had hoped that their meeting would go well. He put his free arm around her. “Are you okay?”

“I feel a lot better,” she replied and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Can I do anything for you?” he asked.

“You could get me a chocolate sundae,” she suggested with a smile. “The cravings are starting. This one is relatively normal.”

“Have I told you how awesome it is that you’re having my baby?”

“Yeah, yeah…” She looked up at him. “If only you could have them for me.”

“Baby, if I could—I would,” he replied with a grin. Katniss snorted and moved closer to him while Lo snored softly on his shoulder.

He was a lucky man.

++++++

**_Two Months Later_ **

“Do you want to know the sex of the baby?” Dr. Collins, Katniss’ obstetrician, asked.

Katniss looked at Peeta as the doctor held the sonogram wand over her burgeoning stomach. They officially knew that in four months, another baby would be added to the family.

The last week had been busy. Peeta had announced to the press that their farewell concert would happen in three months. A month before the baby came.

The other members of the band had taken it well. They all had other interests going on. Thresh would be signing his own contract with Haymitch as a solo act; his own record would be more jazz based. Cato was moving to California in pursuit of Glimmer, who actually invited him to stay with her while he looked for his own place.

Thom would be joining Finnick’s production company as his assistant. Delly was pregnant with their second child and they thought it was time to assimilate four year old Mason into a regular school.

“What do you think?” Katniss asked her husband.

“Let’s do it,” he replied giddily.

The doctor smiled at them. She moved the wand so that they could view the baby’s silhouette. “Ten fingers and ten toes…”

“YES!” Peeta jumped from his seat. “I see a penis!”

“Uh—that’s actually an elbow,” the doctor replied. She moved the wand once more. “But there is his penis. Congratulations.”

Katniss looked at screen in awe. “Now we have a pair.”

She really couldn’t believe that they were going to have _two_ children. Her finger traced the hand on the screen.

“What are you thinking?” Peeta whispered in her ear.

“I was thinking that I’m really glad I let Delly convince me to come to your concert.”

++++++

“How is the house hunt going?” Thom asked as they sat outside a café in SoHo. Katniss had a meeting with Cinna about her position in the magazine.

Lately, Katniss had been talking about writing a book. He had asked her one day what she would write about and she responded with a small smile.

“I’ll write about us, of course,” she told him. “I think it’s time that people knew our story.”

Her schedule was getting increasingly tighter, as was his. With the promotions for their final concert happening along with searching for a new house—the couple had very little time to think about anything else besides Lo and the new baby.

So Katniss decided to leave her job to start writing the book and focus on being a mother.

“We’ve found a few places, but nothing stands out,” he replied. “I don’t think either of us wants to live in Manhattan. We just imagine having a place where the kids can run around and not worry about having their picture taken.”

Thom set down the cappuccino cup that he had been nursing and turned to him.

“So I have a friend who is putting a place up—and he thinks it might be perfect for you and Katniss.”

“And who is this friend?”

Thom reached into the pocket of his black leather jacket and handed him a card. “Keep an open mind, okay?”

++++++

Peeta couldn’t believe he was where he was.

He sat in the cushioned chair across from a very bored receptionist. Drumming his fingers against his thighs, he told himself that this was for Katniss and the kids.

“You can go in now,” the receptionist said to him before going back to her computer screen. As he turned to thank her, he could see that she was already scrolling through her Tumblr page.

Opening the door, he walked into a meeting room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, with floor to ceiling windows interrupting them. The door on the opposite side opened and Gale walked in.

When Thom suggested talking to Gale, he had been uncertain.

They were bonded by one commonality and that was Katniss. And when it came to her, Gale had gotten the short end of the stick.

Thom had insisted that the meeting would be worth it, so here he was.

Gale gave him a small smile as he walked towards him. “Thanks for coming.” He held his hand out to Peeta and they shook quickly. “I wasn’t sure if you would actually call me.” He gestured to the couches. “Please have a seat.”

Peeta sat quickly on the couch while Gale took the one across from him. The coffee table in-between them held a few parenting magazines and a picture of Madge, his wife, in a gold frame.

“Reading up?” he asked and Gale’s cheeks darkened. The other man nodded in acknowledgment.

“It’s early, but I thought I’d get some information so I know what to expect in the coming months,” Gale replied.

“Just remember to get her whatever she wants when it comes to cravings,” Peeta told him. “Katniss once had a meltdown when she was pregnant with Lo because I got criss-cross fries and not shoestrings like she wanted.”

Gale guffawed. It was definitely hard to believe that Katniss, who was usually so calm, would have a freak out like that. Peeta himself had been surprised by the shift in moods that had been his pregnant wife. This second pregnancy seemed to be going a little smoother.

“I really can’t imagine that,” Gale said to him.

“It might be different with Madge,” Peeta replied. “So, Thom said that you had a house you were looking to get rid of?”

“Not a house, per se.” Gale handed him a folder that he had brought with him. “It’s some property about 40 miles up from Katniss’ hometown. I checked and it’s good land for building.”

Peeta looked over the property photos. It was all green and lush. Trees were scattered amongst the property and he could imagine putting up a swing on one of them for Lo to use.

It was perfect.

“How did you get a property like this?”

Gale bowed his head, silent for a moment. When he looked up, Peeta could see that his eyes were laced with sadness.

“I bought it as a wedding present for Katniss,” he said after a moment. “I thought that we could build a house there—to raise our children in.”

Peeta was taken aback by his words. Was he still in love with Katniss?

Gale smiled at him. “I’m not in love with her anymore. I mean, I love her, but not in that way—I think I always will.” He laughed softly, looking at Peeta’s skeptic expression. “She was my first love, after all.”

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” Peeta said after a moment.

“No, it was meant to be hers,” Gale replied. “Meant for her children—I just didn’t realize that the children wouldn’t be mine.”

“I never thanked you,” Peeta told him. “For sending her back to me and for taking care of her when I wasn’t around.”

Gale remained still for a moment, his eyes focused on the coffee table. “I just wanted her to be happy.”

“We wanted you to be happy, too,” Peeta replied. “She always felt guilty about the way things ended.”

“It is what it is,” Gale told him. “And it took me a while, but I fell in love and understood how you both felt.” His eyes focused on the picture of Madge. “I wouldn’t trade my Madge for anything.”

Peeta nodded in agreement. They both sat in comfortable silence, contemplating what had happened between them. They had formed a kinship—bonded by the mutual love for their grey eyed girl.

“So is being a father hard?” Gale asked, breaking the stillness.

“If you have a child like Lo, then yes,” Peeta replied but a grin formed on his face. “But he or she will be worth it.”

++++++

**_Three Months Later_ **

_Madison Square Garden_

She could barely walk.

Her pregnancy had been fine until the last few weeks when she had blown up like a balloon. She practically had to stretch to reach the computer keys of her laptop as she finished another chapter of her book.

Looking over her words, she didn’t notice the door to the tour bus open or the quiet footsteps that approached.

“Whoa, Mama!”

Katniss turned to see Cinna and Portia on the top steps of the tour bus. She turned to them slowly and the two rushed to her.

“Hey, you guys!” She pushed herself up and gave them each a hug. “I didn’t know that you were coming.”

“It’s Peeta Mellark and the Districts’ last concert! How could we not?” Portia replied. She wore a bright gold dress with a large skirt. “Plus, we are to escort the lovely Mrs. Mellark to the stage for her husband’s last song.”

Katniss nodded but put her finger to her lips. “Give me a minute. I have to wake Lo up from her nap.”

“Don’t worry, Katniss,” Rue appeared at the entrance to the bus. “I’ll get her. You’ll need some time to walk to the stage—and Peeta is waiting for you.”

Cinna and Portia walked to her sides and linked arms with her.  She tried not to laugh as the two walked her slowly down the stairs of the tour bus. They showed security their badges and as they strolled down the long hallway, Cinna looked her over.

“Nice dress,” he said with a smirk.

She looked down at the black and white vertical-striped empire dress that she wore, then looked up at him.

“Thanks,” she replied. “A really talented designer made it for me. It’s out of his new maternity line, you know.”

Cinna put an arm around her. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Katniss had continued to wear his designs even after her breakup with Gale. There was something about Cinna’s clothes. Whenever she wore something made from him—she felt beautiful. Her fame had only heightened when she and Peeta first appeared together as a couple. His fans grew to love her and then emulated her, which included the clothes that she wore.

Cinna’s first ready-to-wear line sold out in a week at department stores.

The vibrations of the music caused her stomach to jump and she grasped her burgeoning belly.

“You okay there?” Portia asked as they reached the side of the stage. A set of chairs were waiting for them.

She turned to her friend and nodded with a grin. “The baby likes the music.”

“Have a seat,” Portia said. She wasn’t used to being around pregnant women and hovered protectively over Katniss as she sat down.

The crowd was overwhelming. All 20,000 seats in the arena were filled. Brightly colored signs were held up by screaming fans and Peeta, along with the rest of the band, stood on stage. He turned and met her eyes, beaming as he did. She waved at him quickly.

It felt comfortable watching him perform. She had been doing it for years and her eyes filled with tears thinking that this would be her last time backstage at a concert of his.

“Thank you to all of you,” Peeta said into the mic. “This is going to be the last song of the night.” A collective cry sounded out from the crowd. “It’s a cover of another song and I’m singing it because—I have someone to sing it to.” He turned to look at her. “For you, Mrs. Mellark.”

When he turned to the crowd, his eyes were glassy. “I’m Peeta Mellark. The very talented men around me are ‘The Districts’, and it has been a pleasure performing for you.”

The piano began and Peeta put his lips to the microphone.

_“Highway run into the midnight sun…”_

Katniss grasped her belly again—but this time it was because her water broke.

++++++

They named him Jonah—after her father. He was born right inside the tour bus by a doctor who happened to be watching the concert in the front row.

Peeta looked in the rearview mirror of the car and his eyes met Katniss’. She smiled at him before turning back to their son in his car seat.

“Where are we going?” Katniss asked.

“It’s a surprise,” Peeta replied. “Just go with it.” He glanced at Lo, who was looking curiously out the window at the landscape before her. She had never been outside the city and her small legs wriggled in anticipation.

His son looked exactly like him. Jonah had his blond curls, but his eyes were Katniss’ grey. He was quieter than his sister, who had bellowed her way into the world. Jonah entered with one shrill cry before he fell asleep on his mother’s chest.

Turning right onto a dirt path, Katniss turned to look out the window. A few yards away was a white house with a large front porch. Peeta slowed the car before parking it along the side of the road.

Lo pushed open her door and ran out into the open field to the side.

“I’ll get him,” Peeta said with a grin. “Go get Lo.”

Katniss nodded wordlessly before getting out of the car. She stared up at the house. It was two stories with large windows. She could see the light, white curtains on the inside.

“Mommy!” Lo rushed to her side. “Do you see my swing?”

Katniss looked over to a large tree where a makeshift swing hung from one of the branches. She took Lo’s hand.

“Your swing, huh?” Katniss grinned at her daughter. “Do you think you could share with Jonah?”

Lo thought for a moment. “He’s too little.”

“How about when he gets older?”

“I guess so…”

Jonah let out a small cry and she turned to see Peeta holding the little bundle that was their son. Rushing over, Katniss took the baby in her arms and adjusted the swaddling.

“So what do you think?” Peeta asked. “A few acres for the kids to run around in, five bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and an office for you to write in.”

“What are you talking about?”

The bang of the door caught her attention and she turned to see her mother, Prim and Haymitch on the front porch smiling at them. Lo ran to join her extended family on the porch.

“And it’s close to your Mom’s place,” Peeta added and put an arm around her. “Do you like it?”

She nodded. “It’s perfect.”

Peeta kissed her softly on the lips and as he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers.

“Welcome home.”

**FIN**

* * *

Thank you for all of your support! I don’t think this story would have finished without everyone’s urging.

The Warfield is a theater here in San Francisco—it’s used for various events such as concerts and comedy shows. It isn’t in the best area in the city though.

Paloma is the middle name that Hubbs wants if we ever have a daughter. I also live a few blocks away from Paloma Street, here in San Francisco.

I knew I wanted a biblical name for their son and for some reason, Jonah seemed to stick with me.

Songs:

“Burn” - Nina ft. Christian Bautista

“Faithfully” - Journey

I hope that you enjoyed this four-parter! Feel free to message with any questions!

-JLaLa


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